A 25-YEAR-OLD burglar who early this month broke into an electrical shop in Mutare and stole cellphones worth over $5 000 has been sentenced to 18 months in jail.
BY KENNETH NYANGANI
Tatenda Rukowo was yesterday convicted on his own plea of guilty to the charge when he appeared before magistrate Sekai Chiundura.
He will, however, serve an effective nine-month prison term after six months were suspended on condition of good behaviour and another three months set aside on condition he pays restitution of $2 199 to the complainant Osondu Onuabuchukwu by May 15 this year.
The court heard that on April 6 this year, Rukowo broke into Onuabuchukwu’s shop at night and stole various cellphones and phone tablets.
Rukowo sold some of the stolen phones to another Mutare businessman, Walter Chigwada, who immediately put them on display at his shop.
Onuabuchukwu positively identified his goods as he passed by Chigwada’s shop on April 16. Chigwada then implicated Rukowo, leading to the latter’s arrest and recovery of some of the stolen cellphones worth $2 980.
Shepherd Chivarika prosecuted.
