News / National
Woman confessed to stealing 5 times from the same supermarket without being detected
28 Nov 2015 at 08:17hrs | Views
A VENDOR from Shurugwi, arraigned for nicking goods worth $23 from a supermarket in Gweru, stunned a court when she confessed to stealing five times from the same supermarket without being detected.
Rumbidzai Mubaiwa, 29, of Makusha suburb in Shurugwi, pleaded guilty to theft before Gweru Magistrate Judith Taruvinga following her arrest on Wednesday.
She had shoved groceries in a blanket at a Pick n Pay Supermarket in Gweru before being caught on a CCTV camera.
Mubaiwa told the court that she had been stealing since April this year to feed her family.
"Your worship I'm a vendor and my husband is not employed. I've been surviving on stealing since April this year and I've always been successful. I've been stealing groceries to feed my four children and my husband as well," said Mubaiwa.
Magistrate Taruvinga told Mubaiwa that stealing to feed one's family was an unlawful act.
The magistrate slapped her with an effective 11 months jail term.
"You must be punished and our correctional services can teach you other projects to get money and feed your family. You've been sentenced to 18 months in prison, six months suspended on condition you don't commit a similar offence and a further month suspended on condition you pay Pick n Pay $4," said the magistrate.
Goods worth $19 that she stole were recovered.
For the state, Daniel Tafuma told the court that on November 25 at around 9AM, Mubaiwa entered Pick n Pay supermarket, took some groceries and put them under her baby towel as she was carrying her five month old baby on her back.
The court heard that she then went away without paying for the groceries.
"Pick n Pay Loss control officer, Anna Ravu, replayed the CCTV and observed Mubaiwa taking some groceries and followed her but couldn't find her," said Tafuma.
"On the same day at around 11AM, Mubaiwa came back and stole some groceries and again put them under her baby towel as she had done before and proceeded to exit without paying as Ravu was viewing on the CCTV."
Mubaiwa was searched at the door and the groceries fell from her baby's towel. Some of the groceries she had stolen in the morning were recovered at the parcel counter.
Rumbidzai Mubaiwa, 29, of Makusha suburb in Shurugwi, pleaded guilty to theft before Gweru Magistrate Judith Taruvinga following her arrest on Wednesday.
She had shoved groceries in a blanket at a Pick n Pay Supermarket in Gweru before being caught on a CCTV camera.
Mubaiwa told the court that she had been stealing since April this year to feed her family.
"Your worship I'm a vendor and my husband is not employed. I've been surviving on stealing since April this year and I've always been successful. I've been stealing groceries to feed my four children and my husband as well," said Mubaiwa.
Magistrate Taruvinga told Mubaiwa that stealing to feed one's family was an unlawful act.
The magistrate slapped her with an effective 11 months jail term.
Goods worth $19 that she stole were recovered.
For the state, Daniel Tafuma told the court that on November 25 at around 9AM, Mubaiwa entered Pick n Pay supermarket, took some groceries and put them under her baby towel as she was carrying her five month old baby on her back.
The court heard that she then went away without paying for the groceries.
"Pick n Pay Loss control officer, Anna Ravu, replayed the CCTV and observed Mubaiwa taking some groceries and followed her but couldn't find her," said Tafuma.
"On the same day at around 11AM, Mubaiwa came back and stole some groceries and again put them under her baby towel as she had done before and proceeded to exit without paying as Ravu was viewing on the CCTV."
Mubaiwa was searched at the door and the groceries fell from her baby's towel. Some of the groceries she had stolen in the morning were recovered at the parcel counter.
Source - chronicle
