Chantelle Muzanenhamo
A Zimbabwean nurse aide named Precious Moyo, 38, has been sentenced to 8 years in prison for orchestrating a series of violent burglaries targeting elderly victims in Athlone, Ireland.
Moyo, who resided at the Athlone Accommodation Centre in County Westmeath, admitted to burglary and aggravated burglary charges, along with her 20-year-old accomplice, Yamen Alhamada, a Syrian war refugee, who was sentenced to 6 years for his involvement.
The crimes, which took place between June and September 2023, saw Moyo exploiting her prior employment as a caregiver to gain the trust of her victims, who ranged in age from 73 to 89 years old.
The court heard harrowing testimony detailing how Moyo and Alhamada gained access to the victims’ homes under false pretenses, often using disguises.
In one particularly disturbing case, the duo broke into the home of an 80-year-old man with mobility issues, violently assaulting him and stealing €200 and cherished items belonging to his late wife.
Prosecutors revealed that Moyo’s actions were facilitated by her prior knowledge of her victims’ routines and vulnerabilities, which she had acquired during her previous caregiving job, from which she had been dismissed due to client complaints.
One of the earliest incidents involved a 73-year-old woman whose handbag containing €24,000 was stolen.
In another case, Alhamada posed as a Garda (police) officer to gain access to the home of an 89-year-old woman with dementia, stealing her handbag containing cash and bank cards before fleeing with Moyo as his getaway driver.
The most violent act occurred in September, when Moyo and Alhamada targeted a man with dementia and his partner, stealing €10,000. Alhamada flashed a flick knife during the ordeal, while Moyo demonstrated detailed knowledge of the house’s layout.
Victim impact statements described profound emotional and financial damage, with one victim saying, “I’ve lost trust in people and am suspicious of people,” and another reporting being constantly afraid and unable to live peacefully in their own home.
Despite recovering only a fraction of the stolen funds, the judge condemned the defendants’ actions as calculated and cruel.