News / National
321 years jail for 9-week robbery, carjacking spree
01 Nov 2017 at 05:12hrs | Views
SEVEN armed robbers who were involved in a spate of carjacking and robbery cases in the southern region of the country were yesterday jailed for a combined 321 years.
The septet stole property worth more than $25 000 in nine weeks between August and October this year.
Bonface Vutete (38) of Mberengwa, Nyashadzashe Hove (34) of Old Pumula, Timothy Munhare (31) of Entumbane, Handsome Sibanda (29) of Pumula South, Tanaka Mboti (22) and Simbarashe Tatenda Shumba (31) both of Mvuma as well as Terrence Sibanda (23) of Glen Lorne in Harare pleaded guilty to all the charges which included multiple counts of robbery, carjacking and possession of unlicensed firearms.
Three Bulawayo regional magistrates, Mrs Sibongile Marondedze, Mr Joseph Mabeza and Mr Chrispen Mberewere took turns to preside over the cases divided into eight records.
In passing the sentences, all the three magistrates ruled that the seven men were a danger to society and deserved lengthy prison terms.
"In assessing the sentence, the court took into account both mitigatory and aggravating circumstances. Robbery is a serious offence which calls for a deterrent sentence. What is aggravating is that you went on a robbery spree, hiring victims and in some cases tying them to trees before robbing them of their cars, money and several other valuables," said Mrs Marondedze.
Mr Mabeza said the septet was a danger to society and deserved to rot in jail.
"Robbery is a serious crime which attracts a jail term and for your actions you should be removed from society for a very long time," he said.
Mr Mberewere, in passing the sentence, said the offences committed disturbed peace and instilled fear in motorists.
"Such people should be removed from society for disturbing peace and instilling fear in our community, especially among motorists who were the major victims," he said.
The masterminds of the eight-man gang Vutete and Hove, who took part in almost all the crimes, were incarcerated for a combined effective 119 years.
The other members of the gang, Munhare, Sibanda, Mboti, Shumba and Sibanda were jailed for a combined effective 115 years.
The seven carjackers, in mitigation, told the court that poverty drove them to use an illegal firearm smuggled from South Africa to instill fear in their victims before robbing them.
Hove was slapped with an effective 68 years in jail, while Vutete and Shumba got 51 years and 20 years respectively.
Handsome was given 18 years while Mboti, the youngest in the gang, was jailed for 23 years. Munhare will serve an effective 42 years in jail with Sibanda getting the least sentence of an effective 14 years.
Prosecuting, Mr Tinashe Dzipe said between August 13 and October 28, the seven men connived and went on a robbery spree.
"On August 13, Hove, Munhare and Sibanda hired a taxi driver from a city hotel to Matsheumhlophe. They were charged $9 which they promised to pay upon arrival. Along the way, they throttled the driver with a rope, tied both his legs and hands before threatening him with knives. They robbed him of $19 and a cellphone and drove away in his Honda Fit vehicle," said Mr Dzipe.
The trio used the same modus operandi to rob another taxi driver two days later.
"Two days later along Rosetta Road in Montgomery in Bulawayo, Hove, Munhare and Sibanda robbed Mr Samuel Sibanda of his car, a Toyota Fancargo, a pair of boots and two cellphones," said Mr Dzipe.
The court heard that on September 25, they pounced on a taxi driver who had stopped at a robot at the intersection of First Avenue and Fife Street at about midnight. One of them pointed a gun at the driver and the others jumped into the vehicle. They tied him up and stole his car and other valuables.
In October, the seven men ganged up and drove to Rutenga, Mwenezi in Masvingo Province, where they robbed a shop and were spotted driving the stolen vehicle.
"Members of the public chased them at high speed until their vehicle burst a tyre. The suspects abandoned it and fled on foot," said Mr Dzipe.
In another robbery, the gang hired a taxi driver from the Bulawayo city centre to Trenance suburb.
They paid $8 which they were charged, and once in Trenance, they turned on the taxi driver, tied his neck while the other one covered his head with a jacket.
They took the car and left him tied to a tree. The vehicle was recovered in Masvingo last week.
Using the same tactic, on October 28, the gang attacked a driver and left him tied to a tree in Manningdale suburb. They robbed him of $12 and a cellphone before driving away.
Last week, five of the gang members boarded a Honda Fit that was pirating to Matsheumhlophe after midnight. Along the way they attacked the driver and two passengers that they found in the car.
"On October 24 at Engen Garage in Filabusi, the seven men armed with toy guns robbed Ms Samkeliso Moyo of a cellphone and $1 000," said Mr Dzipe.
On the same day, they went to Matshologwane Business Centre in Filabusi and robbed Ms Siboniso Ndlovu of $30, a bicycle, and a pair of shoes.
The court heard that during one of their armed robberies at Flo Petroleum Service Station in Glengarry in Bulawayo on Thursday last week, the gang tied up fuel attendants and put on their uniforms to serve clients before getting away with $300, three cellphones, two wedding rings, wrist watch and a bag with particulars.
Detectives from the Bulawayo Criminal Investigation Department Vehicle Theft Squad arrested Hove at his home in Old Pumula following a tip-off. His accomplices were also later arrested.
The septet stole property worth more than $25 000 in nine weeks between August and October this year.
Bonface Vutete (38) of Mberengwa, Nyashadzashe Hove (34) of Old Pumula, Timothy Munhare (31) of Entumbane, Handsome Sibanda (29) of Pumula South, Tanaka Mboti (22) and Simbarashe Tatenda Shumba (31) both of Mvuma as well as Terrence Sibanda (23) of Glen Lorne in Harare pleaded guilty to all the charges which included multiple counts of robbery, carjacking and possession of unlicensed firearms.
Three Bulawayo regional magistrates, Mrs Sibongile Marondedze, Mr Joseph Mabeza and Mr Chrispen Mberewere took turns to preside over the cases divided into eight records.
In passing the sentences, all the three magistrates ruled that the seven men were a danger to society and deserved lengthy prison terms.
"In assessing the sentence, the court took into account both mitigatory and aggravating circumstances. Robbery is a serious offence which calls for a deterrent sentence. What is aggravating is that you went on a robbery spree, hiring victims and in some cases tying them to trees before robbing them of their cars, money and several other valuables," said Mrs Marondedze.
Mr Mabeza said the septet was a danger to society and deserved to rot in jail.
"Robbery is a serious crime which attracts a jail term and for your actions you should be removed from society for a very long time," he said.
Mr Mberewere, in passing the sentence, said the offences committed disturbed peace and instilled fear in motorists.
"Such people should be removed from society for disturbing peace and instilling fear in our community, especially among motorists who were the major victims," he said.
The masterminds of the eight-man gang Vutete and Hove, who took part in almost all the crimes, were incarcerated for a combined effective 119 years.
The other members of the gang, Munhare, Sibanda, Mboti, Shumba and Sibanda were jailed for a combined effective 115 years.
The seven carjackers, in mitigation, told the court that poverty drove them to use an illegal firearm smuggled from South Africa to instill fear in their victims before robbing them.
Hove was slapped with an effective 68 years in jail, while Vutete and Shumba got 51 years and 20 years respectively.
Handsome was given 18 years while Mboti, the youngest in the gang, was jailed for 23 years. Munhare will serve an effective 42 years in jail with Sibanda getting the least sentence of an effective 14 years.
"On August 13, Hove, Munhare and Sibanda hired a taxi driver from a city hotel to Matsheumhlophe. They were charged $9 which they promised to pay upon arrival. Along the way, they throttled the driver with a rope, tied both his legs and hands before threatening him with knives. They robbed him of $19 and a cellphone and drove away in his Honda Fit vehicle," said Mr Dzipe.
The trio used the same modus operandi to rob another taxi driver two days later.
"Two days later along Rosetta Road in Montgomery in Bulawayo, Hove, Munhare and Sibanda robbed Mr Samuel Sibanda of his car, a Toyota Fancargo, a pair of boots and two cellphones," said Mr Dzipe.
The court heard that on September 25, they pounced on a taxi driver who had stopped at a robot at the intersection of First Avenue and Fife Street at about midnight. One of them pointed a gun at the driver and the others jumped into the vehicle. They tied him up and stole his car and other valuables.
In October, the seven men ganged up and drove to Rutenga, Mwenezi in Masvingo Province, where they robbed a shop and were spotted driving the stolen vehicle.
"Members of the public chased them at high speed until their vehicle burst a tyre. The suspects abandoned it and fled on foot," said Mr Dzipe.
In another robbery, the gang hired a taxi driver from the Bulawayo city centre to Trenance suburb.
They paid $8 which they were charged, and once in Trenance, they turned on the taxi driver, tied his neck while the other one covered his head with a jacket.
They took the car and left him tied to a tree. The vehicle was recovered in Masvingo last week.
Using the same tactic, on October 28, the gang attacked a driver and left him tied to a tree in Manningdale suburb. They robbed him of $12 and a cellphone before driving away.
Last week, five of the gang members boarded a Honda Fit that was pirating to Matsheumhlophe after midnight. Along the way they attacked the driver and two passengers that they found in the car.
"On October 24 at Engen Garage in Filabusi, the seven men armed with toy guns robbed Ms Samkeliso Moyo of a cellphone and $1 000," said Mr Dzipe.
On the same day, they went to Matshologwane Business Centre in Filabusi and robbed Ms Siboniso Ndlovu of $30, a bicycle, and a pair of shoes.
The court heard that during one of their armed robberies at Flo Petroleum Service Station in Glengarry in Bulawayo on Thursday last week, the gang tied up fuel attendants and put on their uniforms to serve clients before getting away with $300, three cellphones, two wedding rings, wrist watch and a bag with particulars.
Detectives from the Bulawayo Criminal Investigation Department Vehicle Theft Squad arrested Hove at his home in Old Pumula following a tip-off. His accomplices were also later arrested.
Source - chronicle
