A GWANDA man has been sentenced to one-month in prison for
stealing a bicycle belonging to his churchmate during an all-night prayer
service.
Mandlenkosi Nkomo (20) from Nhlamba Village was convicted
on his own plea of guilty to theft by Gwanda magistrate, Miss Lerato Nyathi.
He was sentenced to one month in prison which was wholly
suspended on condition that he does not commit a similar offence within the
next two years.
In passing her sentence, Miss Nyathi warned Nkomo against
stealing or engaging in any criminal offence as he would be thrown in prison if
next caught on the wrong side of the law.
Prosecuting, Miss Glenda Nare said Nkomo stole a bicycle
belonging to his churchmate, Mr Solomon Moyo (59) on October 5 last year at
around 9PM during a church gathering.
“On 5 October at around 9PM at a Masowe gathering at
Nhlamba Village Mr Moyo parked his bicycle underneath a tree where congregants
leave their belongings to attend church services. Nkomo who was part of the
congregants sneaked out of the church service and took advantage of the
darkness and took Mr Moyo’s bicycle and went away unnoticed.
“On the following day at around 5AM when the church service
had come to an end Mr Moyo went to collect his bicycle where he had left it but
couldn’t locate it. He informed his churchmates who noted that Nkomo had left
the congregation but had left his shoes behind,” she said.
Miss Nare said the congregants traced some footprints of
someone from where the bicycle had been parked but they disappeared after a few
metres and they saw bicycle tyre marks suggesting that Nkomo carried the
bicycle from where the congregation was gathered and then rode it when he was a
few metres away.
She said the matter was reported to the police who
conducted investigations leading to Nkomo’s arrest and recovery of the bicycle.
Chronicle
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