News / National
Man jailed five years for robbery
20 Oct 2024 at 17:26hrs | Views
A man from Nkulumani, Bulawayo, has been sentenced to five years in prison for his involvement in a robbery.
Blessing Ndebele (22) appeared before Magistrate Musayiwona Shortgame and pleaded guilty. He received a five-year sentence, with one year suspended on the condition that he returns the stolen money to its owner.
The court heard that on May 7, 2022, Ndebele and his accomplices were seated in their getaway car, a Honda Fit, outside the workplace of Eugine Mpofu (37).
Ndebele ransacked the office, stealing Mpofu's Huawei P40 Pro cellphone, an iPhone 13 Pro Max cellphone, a Samsung A22 cellphone, two laptops (a Lenovo ThinkPad and an HP 320), and cash amounting to US$500 and ZAR300 from the desk drawer.
They also searched Mpofu and took US$80 from his jeans pocket.
After the robbery, Ndebele exited the office, and Mpofu managed to free himself, pursuing the robbers while calling for help from passersby and other tenants in the building.
With the assistance of a crowd, Mpofu apprehended Edward Dave (who was previously convicted and is serving time for the same offense), while the other accomplices jumped into their getaway vehicle, which Ndebele was driving, and sped away.
Upon arrest, Edward Dave was searched, and US$80 in cash was recovered from him.
A police report was filed, leading to an investigation. During questioning, Dave revealed the identities of his accomplices, prompting a manhunt.
The red Honda Fit was later recovered abandoned outside Heads and Hooves Butchery at the corner of 11th Avenue and Herbert Chitepo Street in Bulawayo. Inside the vehicle was Mpofu's stolen HP laptop.
The total value of the stolen items was ZAR66,300, of which ZAR52,300 was recovered.
Blessing Ndebele (22) appeared before Magistrate Musayiwona Shortgame and pleaded guilty. He received a five-year sentence, with one year suspended on the condition that he returns the stolen money to its owner.
The court heard that on May 7, 2022, Ndebele and his accomplices were seated in their getaway car, a Honda Fit, outside the workplace of Eugine Mpofu (37).
Ndebele ransacked the office, stealing Mpofu's Huawei P40 Pro cellphone, an iPhone 13 Pro Max cellphone, a Samsung A22 cellphone, two laptops (a Lenovo ThinkPad and an HP 320), and cash amounting to US$500 and ZAR300 from the desk drawer.
They also searched Mpofu and took US$80 from his jeans pocket.
After the robbery, Ndebele exited the office, and Mpofu managed to free himself, pursuing the robbers while calling for help from passersby and other tenants in the building.
With the assistance of a crowd, Mpofu apprehended Edward Dave (who was previously convicted and is serving time for the same offense), while the other accomplices jumped into their getaway vehicle, which Ndebele was driving, and sped away.
Upon arrest, Edward Dave was searched, and US$80 in cash was recovered from him.
A police report was filed, leading to an investigation. During questioning, Dave revealed the identities of his accomplices, prompting a manhunt.
The red Honda Fit was later recovered abandoned outside Heads and Hooves Butchery at the corner of 11th Avenue and Herbert Chitepo Street in Bulawayo. Inside the vehicle was Mpofu's stolen HP laptop.
The total value of the stolen items was ZAR66,300, of which ZAR52,300 was recovered.
Source - Byo24News
