Crimes and Courts Correspondent
Peter Gono, a 30-year-old man, has been sentenced to 36 years in prison for his involvement in a funeral robbery in Mukunyadzi Village, Chiweshe.
Bindura regional magistrate Mr. Amos Mbobo handed down the sentence after Gono faced seven counts of robbery.
Gono and his six accomplices stormed the funeral, wearing face masks and armed with a shotgun, iron bars, and wooden sticks. They assaulted several people, including Neria Mazarura and Martha Masona, demanding money and stealing over US$3,000 and property at gunpoint.
As Prosecutor Mr. Edward Katsvairo recounted, “Gono asked for Martha Masona, and Neria Mazarura told the accused that she was sleeping in the main house. They started assaulting Mazarura with the iron bars and wooden sticks.” The robbers also deflated the tires of three vehicles at the house before fleeing.
Gono’s downfall came when he started using one of the stolen cell phones, which was being tracked. This led to his arrest at Chinamhora Business Centre in Domboshava.
The sentence breaks down into 12 years for the first count, 12 years for counts two to four, and 12 years for counts five and seven. However, five years were suspended for five years, and another year was suspended on the condition that he pays back US$600.
This incident highlights the growing concern of robbery attacks at funerals. In a similar incident in Greendale, Harare, five armed robbers attacked mourners, making off with US$800 cash and 300 Euros, as well as 30 assorted gold and silver rings valued at US$41,800.
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