Serial armed robbers sentenced to 5 years in priso...

Serial armed robbers sentenced to 5 years in prison

Tariro Tumbukayi

A 27-year-old man, Pharoah Moyo and his 21-year-old accomplice, Terrence Mpofu, were sentenced to five years and three months in prison each by the Masvingo Magistrates’ Courts for eight counts of armed robbery.

It is alleged that on December 14, 2023 the accused persons and their accomplice, David Mkosana - who is yet to appear in court since he is admitted in hospital - and Genios Washaya, opened the complainant’s door forcefully using iron bars before demanding cash and valuables.

According to the National Prosecuting Authority, the victim was kept hostage along with another victim, with the intruders demanding that they show them houses and business premises with people who might have large amounts of money.

“On the 14th of December at around midnight, the accused persons and their accomplices David Mkosana, who is yet to appear in court since he is admitted in hospital and Genius Washaya, forced open the complainant’s door using iron bars. After gaining entry, they demanded cash and valuables from the complainant, threatening to kill him.

“The complainant surrendered his Itel P17 cellphone, a powerbank and a sachet containing clothes.

“They held the complainant and another hostage, force-marched and demanded that they show them houses and business premises with ‘people who were likely to have large sums of money,” the NPA said.

The accused also committed seven more robberies around Victoria Range and Clipshaw View in Masvingo and are believed to be involved in the robbery cases around Masvingo last year in December.

“They went on to commit seven more robberies around Victoria Range and Clipshaw View Masvingo in January 2024 and were linked to robbery incidents that took place around Masvingo in December 2023.

The value of the stolen property is US$11 290, with only US$900 worth of property recovered after David Mkosana implicated the accused persons and Genius Washaya.

The accused persons were sentenced to 63 months’ imprisonment each, which 22 months were suspended, leaving to serve an effective 51 months.