Serial housebreaker gets 25 years behind bars

A MAN from Gweru has been sentenced to 25 years in jail for breaking into several houses and stealing property worth more than $13,000.

Philani Nyoni, 32, of Ascot Infill Suburb who had been on the run for months, was arrested on Sunday for breaking into nine houses and stealing property worth $13,615 and $250 in cash last year.

Nyoni appeared before Magistrate Musaiona Shotgame and pleaded guilty to eight counts of unlawful entry, eight counts of theft and two counts of robbery. Magistrate Shotgame said Nyoni's crimes were pre-meditated.

"You benefited from the crimes as property of great value wasn't recovered. You deserve a deterrent sentence so that we keep you from the community that you've been terrorising," he said. "I've treated the two robbery counts as one and you're sentenced to five years imprisonment of which one year is suspended on condition of good behaviour."

Magistrate Shotgame also slapped Nyoni with 20 years imprisonment for theft and unlawful entry and suspended three years on condition that he restitutes $9,231 to nine complainants through the Clerk of Court on or before May 31.

Prosecuting, Bernard Nyoni said Philani broke into nine houses and stole property worth $13, 615 and $250 in cash. Only $ 3,970 worth of property was recovered.