A SUSPECTED burglar was caught hiding in a kitchen cupboard of a house that he had allegedly broken into on consecutive times last week.
Manica Post reported that Wilfred Mwamutsei (55) of Tsvingwe in Penhalonga denied the charges of unlawful entry and theft when he appeared in court this week.
Presiding over the matter was Mutare senior magistrate, Mrs Sekai Chiundura and representing the State was Mr Fletcher Karombe.
It is alleged that Mwamutsei was caught hiding in a cupboard at House Number 31105, Alphoton Road, Christmas Pass by the gardener, Joe Safure who was conducting a search at the house shortly after a housebreaking case had been reported.
“On February 10, Safure made his daily checks and found that someone had broken into the house and stole a window frame and the kitchen sink.
“Upon telling his bosses that the place had been broken into, he was instructed to guard the house at night as well as securing the place with new locks,” said Karombe.
He further alleged that when Safure came back from buying new locks at around 5pm on the same day, he found out that the place had been broken into again.
Safure searched the house and found Mwamutsei hiding in a cupboard in the kitchen.
He discovered that he had removed MCB breakers and a Rom disc wheel.
The stolen goods are valued at $270 and nothing was recovered.
Mwamutsei denied the charges.
“They are just fabricating charges against me. They never caught me in a kitchen cupboard. The truth of the matter is that 15 years ago I was involved in a similar offence, so when somebody stole from them, they accused me of the theft,” he said.
He was remanded on $150 bail to February 26 for trial.
