By Takudziridzwa Nyama
Three men from Karoi have been sentenced to 12 years in prison for robbery.
The three men are Philimon Sithole (25), Norman Timu (29), and Stephen Ndaradzi (24) will rue the day they decided to unleash terror, breaking the law.
Circumstances are that, at Mabhero Shop, in Karoi, the complainant who is a shop owner was awakened by a loud bang as three masked individuals forcibly entered his shop at Kingsgrove Business Centre.
One of the offenders, armed with an iron bar, assaulted the complainant and demanded money, while another fired a gunshot.
The complainant panicked and gave them US$800 and his car keys. The offenders loaded the complainant’s Nissan NV200 with groceries, including sugar, flour, macaroni, cooking oil, and other items, along with his cell phone, before fleeing.
The complainant reported the matter to the police and the police later recovered a spent cartridge at the scene.
The National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe (NPAZ), states that police detectives in Chinhoyi arrested 2nd and 3rd offenders, who were found drinking at a bottle store in Lucky 7 shops after receiving information that they had robbed another complainant while traveling in a Honda Fit.
The 2nd and 3rd offenders implicated the 1st offender and two others who are still at large, leading to the 1st offender’s arrest in Chinhoyi CBD, where the complainant’s stolen cell phone was recovered.
Subsequent investigations led to the recovery of stolen goods, including sugar, flour, macaroni, washing powder, cooking oil, peanut butter, and sweets, from the 1st and 3rd offenders’ residence.
The following day, 2nd and 3rd offenders led the police to Marondera where they had abandoned the stolen vehicle after evading arrest.
The vehicle and additional items, including an electric shocker and balaclavas, were recovered.
The total value of stolen goods was US$8,600, and the value of recovered goods is US$7,115 recovered.