A 25-year-old habitual property thief was slapped with a 30-month jail term yesterday on 10 counts of unlawful entry in aggravated circumstances and stealing possessions worth $400 000 in the Avenues in Harare.
Carlsmax Mapaureni pleaded guilty to all the 10 counts when he was arraigned before Harare magistrate Sharon Rukafa.
Initially, Mapaureni was sentenced to 75 months’ imprisonment before seven months were suspended on condition that he does not commit a similar offence in five years.
The remaining 38 months were wholly suspended on condition that he restitutes the $400 000 to the complainants before April 10.
Prosecutor Heather Mhanga told the court that on November 13, last year Mapaureni went to Frendon Court, Harare where he gained entry into Chipo Karwi`s premises by forcing open the window using an unknown object.
The convict reportedly took an HP laptop, US$265, Ferrari wrist watch, some clothes and blankets and fled from the scene.
In the same month, he went back to the same court again at night and forced open a locked balcony door and took a 32inch Hisense plasma TV, three bed sheets, under armour shoes, pillows and three curtains, and carpets which belonged to Munyaradzi Mpofu.
In another incident, on December 24, Mapaureni went to Castile Court at Josiah Tongogara Avenue and stole Takudzwa Observer Mashumba’s clothes which were on the washing line before proceeding to another house where he stole various children’s toys.
The convict used the same means to commit the other 6 offences.
Mhanga further told the court that on January 3, one of the complainants identified her Ferrari watch which was put on by a passer-by.
She then approached and asked her where she had bought it and the person revealed that Mapaureni had sold it to her.
by
Shamaine Chirimujiri
STAFF WRITER