File photo
A
man using the aid of 'juju' to bust into houses unnoticed, has been
nabbed after defecating in four hoses and disappearing with valuables.
A 23-year-old Zibabwean man from Bulawayo, who relieved himself in
four houses that he broke into in a 12-day housebreaking spree and stole
a vehicle and property worth more than $5 000, was yesterday sentenced
to nine years in prison.
According to The Chronicle, Taurai Jirongo of Nketa suburb pleaded
guilty to four counts of unlawful entry and five counts of theft before
magistrate Mr Joseph Mabeza.
Jirongo told the court that an Inyanga (juju priest) gave him charms to escape detection by house owners.
He said he chewed some of the umuthi (charm) and defecated just after breaking into a house to make sure the owners did not wake up no matter how much noise he made.
Stunned people in the gallery listened as he explained how he would
again relieve himself in a house after stealing so that his victims
would not be able to trace him.
Mr Mabeza convicted him of the nine counts of unlawful entry and
theft and sentenced him to an effective six years after suspending three
years on condition Jirongo is not within the next five years convicted
of housebreaking and theft.
Jirongo pleaded for a lighter sentence saying that peer pressure drove him to commit the crimes.
“I stole once with my friend and after that I committed the
crimes alone. If you pardon me, I will never touch any one’s property
again,” he said.
Prosecuting, Mr Tinashe Dzipe said Jirongo committed the crimes between July 18 and 30 this year.
“On the night of July 18 in West Somerton, Jirongo stole from
Mr Samora Masimpe Mwinde a 55 inch liquid crystal display (LCD)
television set worth $700 and food from his kitchen. The TV was
recovered on August 4 from Mr Decent Sibanda of Nketa who had bought
it,” he said.
“He stole a Samsung J5 prime cellphone, Intel cellphone and
$350 from Mr Emmanuel Mureya in West Somerton on July 26.Total value
stolen was $600 and $220 was recovered,” Mr Dzipe said.
He said the Samsung J5 Prime was found in Entumbane being used by Sethi Ngwenya.
“On the night of July 28 to 29, Jirongo stole a Samsung Galaxy
S5, S7, Samsung Tab 4 and a Nokia C200 from Mr Mwatse in Southwold. The
Nokia C200 was discovered from Mr Innocent Moyo in Mzilikazi. Total
value lost was $1 862 and $665 was recovered,” Mr Dzipe said.
“On July 29 he stole a Samsung J3 cellphone, two Sony video
cameras, pair of trousers, red T-shirt, red tackies and a black T-shirt
from Mr Isaac Ali in Barham Green. Jirongo then took ignition keys of a
silver Honda Civic parked at Mr Ali’s house and drove the car away.
Total value stolen was $2 900 and $2 880 was recovered,” he said.
“His luck ran out after the Samsung J3 Mini was recovered in
Entumbane on August 3 from Mr Sipho Nkomo who had bought it and the
laptop was recovered from Mr Zacks Spencer.”
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