Thief breaks in, falls asleep on sofa

A would-be thief in Bulawayo turned a midnight housebreaking into an embarrassing nap-time fiasco after forcing his way into a locked home and promptly falling asleep on the sofa like an exhausted visitor waiting for supper.

The bizarre incident happened on Monday this week at Northwards Hostel along 4th Avenue Extension, leaving residents amused and shaking their heads after the intruder was found snoring instead of stealing.

The accused, Richard Vundla (25) of Old Pumula, appeared before the Bulawayo Magistrates Court, where it emerged that he is a recent ex-convict. Vundla was released from prison in October last year, only to find himself back in custody barely months later.

Prosecutor Joseph Rugara told the court that the accused showed no urgency after breaking into the house.

"Richard walked around the hostels and forced entry through a window into a locked house. After getting inside, he sat on the sofa and eventually fell asleep," Rugara said, drawing muted laughter from the public gallery.

The situation took an even more comical turn when the unsuspecting house owner heard noises in the middle of the night. Believing his young son might have woken up, he called out but received no response.

Slightly irritated, the man opened the door to investigate and was shocked to find a grown man fast asleep on his sofa, looking completely at home.

The family woke the intruder and asked him to identify himself.

Still groggy, the man casually introduced himself as "Richard", offering no explanation for why he was sleeping in a stranger's living room.

Realising they were dealing with an intruder rather than a confused guest, the homeowner called a security guard, who arrived and escorted the suspect to Khumalo Police Station, bringing an abrupt end to one of the shortest crime sprees in recent memory.

Magistrate Patience Madondo was less entertained by the sofa sleepover and sentenced Vundla to four months in prison, stressing that people's homes are not rest stops for criminals.

Residents at Northwards Hostel later joked that the thief made off with nothing but a good nap, while others quipped that Bulawayo criminals are now breaking in tired and underqualified.

It was a heist that ended before it even began.