×
NewsDay

AMH is an independent media house free from political ties or outside influence. We have four newspapers: The Zimbabwe Independent, a business weekly published every Friday, The Standard, a weekly published every Sunday, and Southern and NewsDay, our daily newspapers. Each has an online edition.

Epworth serial car thief gets 14 years

News
A 25–YEAR–OLD serial car thief from Epworth was last week sentenced to an effective 14 years behind bars after he was convicted of three car robbery charges

A 25–YEAR–OLD serial car thief from Epworth was last week sentenced to an effective 14 years behind bars after he was convicted of three car robbery charges.

PHILLIP CHIDAVAENZI SENIOR REPORTER

Blessings Chiduke was initially slapped with 18 years in prison, but presiding regional magistrate Hosea Mujaya suspended four years of the sentence on the condition of good behaviour.

The court heard during trial that on June 20 last year, Chiduke in the company of an accomplice still at large, approached Nathan Sibanda (35) at Karigamombe building where he was waiting for customers in his Toyota FunCargo taxi.

The two pretended to be genuine clients and hired Sibanda to take them to Koala Park along Seke Road for $15.

Upon arrival, Chiduke instructed the taxi driver to turn and drive along a gravel road for about a kilometre.

The duo then bundled Sibanda out of the vehicle,tied his hands and legs together before they drove off after robbing him of $54 and a cellphone.

Sibanda later managed to untie himself and filed a report ZRP Airport Police Post.

In October 2013, Chiduke was approached by one Chamunorwa Shonhiwa who wanted to hire the vehicle for some private business and agreed to pay $20 a day.

Shonhiwa was later arrested for driving a vehicle without registration plates. The vehicle was later impounded by the police for investigations.

On March 13 2014, a police detective from Mahusekwa who was investigating the stolen vehicle approached Chiduke and asked him to drive to the police station. Along the way, Chiduke became suspicious and dumped the vehicle before taking to his feet.

The police officer searched the vehicle and recovered registration plates for Sibanda’s stolen vehicle.

Further investigations revealed that the dumped vehicle had also been stolen somewhere.

Chiduke was arrested on May 8 this year after police spotted him in Epworth driving yet another stolen vehicle from Marondera.