Angry residents assault cellphone thief

ANGRY Njube residents in Bulawayo assaulted a cellphone thief who was caught hiding in a toilet after his attempt to steal a cellphone through a window was foiled by his would-be victim he was alert.

Luck ran out of 28-year-old Shephered Tshuma when he allegedly failed to snatch a phone through Tawanda Bhunu's bedroom window on September 30.

Bhunu reportedly jumped and hit his hand forcing him to run to a neighbouring house and hid in a toilet, but was caught and assaulted, before he was handed over to the police.

He appeared before Western Commonage magistrate Tensy Dube facing unlawful entry charges.

He, however, denied attempting to steal at the house, saying Njube residents assaulted him and sent him to the police after they found him peeing outside a home.

Bhunu however told the court that Tshuma had tip-toed to their bedroom window where he was sleeping with his wife at around 11PM.

He said he started shouting and some Njube residents rushed to his house and assaulted Tshuma.

"The moment I struck his hand, he removed it and fled but was caught by neighbours and he was assaulted before we handed him over to the police," said Bhunu.

Taking the witness stand, Bhunu's neighbour Mbongeni Ndlovu told the court that he caught Tshuma in his toilet in the middle of the night and he claimed he was lost.

Magistrate Dube remanded Tshuma in custody to October 6.

The state case led by Sibekithemba Dube is that on September 30, Tshuma tried to steal from Bhunu through a window.