News / National
Thief caught in act, beaten to death
31 Oct 2015 at 11:25hrs | Views
A Mutare man who was caught in the wee hours of Wednesday morning stealing window frames at a house under construction in the Devonshire Extension area paid with his life after residents served vigilante justice by fatally assaulting him.
The ghastly incident, in which the deceased was assaulted around 4am at Number 8538 Devonshire Extension behind St Josephs School near Chikanga Phase 3 high density suburb, attracted hordes of residents who thronged the area on Wednesday morning to catch a glimpse of the man's body believed to be from Hob House high density suburb. Irked by persistent cases of theft of building material fellow housing stand owners in the area are said to have taken the law into their own hands and meted instant justice.
Broken sticks ostensibly used in assaulting the deceased were strewn around on Wednesday morning. When The Manica Post arrived at the scene on Wednesday morning just after 8am, passersby were milling around the area while only two uniformed police officers were present.
The two officers were waiting for homicide department officers who arrived at 10am and all along the body was just covered by a metal coffin with some body parts protruding. One of the residents in the area said the man was assaulted around 4am when he was caught stealing window frames at a house under construction and only died around 8am.
"He must have been left in extreme pain after being assaulted and latter died at around 8am. He died at the same spot. We have been told by those who knew him that he stays in Hob House and he is well known in Hob House.
"By the time he was caught he had already successfully removed two frames from two houses. Although we did not get the actual name, some said he is known as 'Master' in Hob House. There have been a number of people complaining about window frames and building material being stolen and maybe that is what incensed the people who assaulted him," he said. An undisclosed number of people are understood to have been arrested in connection with the murder and are helping police with investigations.
The ghastly incident, in which the deceased was assaulted around 4am at Number 8538 Devonshire Extension behind St Josephs School near Chikanga Phase 3 high density suburb, attracted hordes of residents who thronged the area on Wednesday morning to catch a glimpse of the man's body believed to be from Hob House high density suburb. Irked by persistent cases of theft of building material fellow housing stand owners in the area are said to have taken the law into their own hands and meted instant justice.
Broken sticks ostensibly used in assaulting the deceased were strewn around on Wednesday morning. When The Manica Post arrived at the scene on Wednesday morning just after 8am, passersby were milling around the area while only two uniformed police officers were present.
The two officers were waiting for homicide department officers who arrived at 10am and all along the body was just covered by a metal coffin with some body parts protruding. One of the residents in the area said the man was assaulted around 4am when he was caught stealing window frames at a house under construction and only died around 8am.
"He must have been left in extreme pain after being assaulted and latter died at around 8am. He died at the same spot. We have been told by those who knew him that he stays in Hob House and he is well known in Hob House.
"By the time he was caught he had already successfully removed two frames from two houses. Although we did not get the actual name, some said he is known as 'Master' in Hob House. There have been a number of people complaining about window frames and building material being stolen and maybe that is what incensed the people who assaulted him," he said. An undisclosed number of people are understood to have been arrested in connection with the murder and are helping police with investigations.
Source - manicapost
