Source: The Herald – Breaking news.
Prosper Dembedza
Herald Correspondent
Three suspected armed robbers who stole various goods and cash from unsuspecting victims in Harare have appeared in court.
Tafadzwa Chakuteta (38) who was jointly charged with Willye Chirau (32)and Sarezi Shonhiwa (57) were remanded in custody to December 6 when they appeared before Harare regional magistrate Mrs Marehwanazvo Gofa.
The trio was advised to approach the High Court for bail.
It is the State’s case that on October 26 this year the trio approached the complainants’ gardener armed with machetes, knives and pistols wearing balaclavas and pretended to be police officers making follow up on a stolen laptop.
When the gardener opened his door to attend to them, they grabbed him and handcuffed his hand behind his back before they force-marched into the main house.
When they got to the house, the robbers told the complainants that they had arrested their gardener for stealing a laptop.
The couple opened their door intending to discuss the issue and the trio pushed them inside, tied both their hands and legs with shoelaces while demanding cash and other valuables and threatening to shoot them if they did not comply.
The trio ransacked the whole house and took US$160 from a handbag and US$6 000 from a wallet and other electronic gadgets.
They broke into a safe which was in the main bedroom and stole a 9mm Walther pistol, 14x9mm live rounds and two empty magazines.
The court heard that the trio loaded the loot into the complainants’ blue Toyota Rav 4 and drove away.
They later dumped the motor vehicle together with a 5kg gas tank, 10 kg mealie meal and 10 kg of beef in Mazowe area.On November 3 the armed robbers pounced on other complainants, who were in their kitchen at Plot 01 Pircy Farm, James Farm Road, Goromonzi preparing their dinner and threatened them with pistols and machetes.
One of the accused persons was putting on a balaclava while the others were wearing woolen hats.
The trio threatened to shoot the complainants while demanding cash. The complainants led the robbers to the bedroom where they stole an iPhone 15 pro-max various clothes and an Asus X515 laptop.The state alleged that the robbers stole US$1 000, two iPhone 13 pro maxes and a wallet containing US$2 000 and jewellery.
COMMENTS