Car breaking teens jailed

TWO teenagers from Gweru who were notorious for breaking into parked vehicles have been jailed for three years each for stealing goods and cash amounting to over $3,000 and R4,000.

Rodney Chikono and Tapiwa Magura, who are both aged 19, appeared before Gweru Magistrate Tayengwa Chibanda each facing eight counts of theft from motor vehicles.

The duo were sentenced to an effective 43 months and 40 months in prison respectively. Chikono pleaded guilty to all eight counts while Magura pleaded guilty to six counts of theft. Sentencing the duo, Chibanda said breaking and stealing from people's motor vehicles attracts a custodial sentence.

"The court will consider that you're first offenders and also young. However, stealing from motor vehicles is a serious offence and attracts a custodial sentence," he said.

Prosecuting, Lloyd Mavhisa said on March 26 at around 7PM, Innocent Mpofu parked his Nissan vehicle at the Barn Bar along 9th Street in Gweru and went inside.

Mavhisa said Chikono smashed the passenger's window and stole clothes worth R4,750 as well as identification cards and went away unnoticed.

"On another count, the duo approached a Ford Ranger vehicle which was parked at Downtown Night Club," he said.

"Chikono then smashed the right rear window on the passenger's side and stole a light brown leather jacket, Samsung note 5 cellphone and a black tablet valued at $1,400, whilst Magura was monitoring the car owner's movement and after, the two went away unnoticed."

The court heard that using the same modus operandi, the duo also stole a Samsung tablet and cellphone valued at $550 from a Toyota vehicle which was parked at the Barn Bar.

Nine drivers lost money and their belongings to the gang.