A Bulawayo serial housebreaker, Benjamin Ngwenya, was yesterday jailed to an effective eight years after his fingerprints matched those found at scenes where he had stolen property worth more than $4 000.
At one of the houses, where Ngwenya stole three years ago, it was discovered this year that he was the culprit after his fingerprints matched those picked at the scene. Ngwenya (27) of Woodvale was found guilty of the offences despite his plea of not guilty to three counts of housebreaking and theft.
Bulawayo magistrate Thobekile Mkhosana sentenced him to six years in prison after all the counts were treated as one for purposes of sentence and an additional two years, which were suspended from a previous sentence in 2005 were brought into effect.
Ngwenya will now serve eight years in prison. It was the State case that on September 18 in 2009, Ngwenya went to Kumalo suburb where he broke into, Kesson Diane’s house by removing a kitchen door.
While inside he stole various items including beer and foodstuffs.
He also broke into a vehicle which was parked outside and stole a car radio and went away unnoticed.
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Ngwenya also broke into Loretta Raynolds’ house in Sunnyhill on June 26 this year and stole various items worth more than $2 000.
Using the same modus operandi, he struck at Andy Blignaut’s house in Lockview where he went up the roof and removed the grass thatching.
He got into the house where he stole R7 000 and a cellphone.
However, he was later arrested after a bicycle he had stolen at one of the houses was recovered at a repair shop.
Ngwenya was taken for fingerprints and they implicated him in two other cases.
Total value stolen was $4 045 and goods worth $2 050 were recovered.