Lawrence Chitumba Mash Central Correspondent
Footprints led to the discovery of a hidden pushcart used to carry 300kg of stolen copper cables valued at more than US$9 000 by two Mvurwi men.
Lloyd Jimu and Isaac Inosi were sentenced to 10 years in jail after being convicted of stealing copper cables from a ZESA Holdings transformer at a farm.
They pleaded not guilty to theft charges, but were convicted after a full trial.
Guruve resident magistrate Mr Shingirai Mutiro sentenced the pair to 12 years in prison before suspending two years on condition that they do not commit a similar offence.
Prosecutor Mr Albert Charehwa told the court that on November 1 last year, the pair hatched a plan to steal ZESA copper cables using a pushcart.
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The court heard that they went to Barbra Chirara’s homestead at night and stole her pushcart before proceeding to a ZESA transformer in the same farm.
They dismantled the transformer and stole 300kg of copper cables which they loaded into the cart and escaped barefoot.
In the morning, a villager, Jacob Chigando Mhlanga, noticed that the transformer had been dismantled and alerted other villagers.
The villagers went to the scene and saw the pair’s footprints whereupon a group of villagers followed the footprints and recovered the pushcart covered with grass in Jimu’s garden.
They took the duo to the police leading to their arrest; the cart and transformer were taken as exhibits.
– HERALD
