THREE members of a four–member gang that was in June this year sentenced to an effective 52 years each for rape and robbery were on Wednesday slapped with another effective seven–year prison term on fresh robbery charges.
Senior Reporter
Harare regional magistrate Noel Mupeiwa initially slapped Joseph Banda (36), George Laisi (22) and Faina Siniri (22) with 10 years’ imprisonment each, but suspended three years on condition of good behaviour. The three will now serve a total of 61 years each.
The three were charged with robbery of a motor vehicle the fourth member of the group, Laston Chongo, was however acquitted. In his ruling, Mupeiwa said only a custodial sentence would meet the justice of the case.
“Robbery of a motor vehicle on its own is quite a serious offence which must be discouraged by this court,” he said.
The court heard that on May 29 this year at Kuwadzana High 1 School, Laisi and Siniri, who pretended to be lovers, hired Eddington Baradza’s taxi and asked to be taken to Kuwadzana.
They told Baradza that they would pay $3 upon arrival.
When they arrived at their destination, they alighted from the taxi and Banda appeared on the scene.
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The trio then robbed Baradza of $80, a cellphone and a pair of tackies together with the vehicle before dropping him off at an unknown spot.
On June 25, the group stole a Toyota Spacio belonging to Emmanuel Masaire at Kuwadzana 3 Shopping Centre and later pounced on Munyaradzi Maware. Police immediately launched a manhunt, leading to their arrest and recovery of the vehicles.
