Robber attempts to commit suicide in court
THERE was drama at the Marondera Magistrates’ Court yesterday when a 24-year-old robber, Michael Ziira, attempted to commit suicide after being slapped with a 10-year-jail term for robbery.
According to court officials, Ziira drank a toilet cleaning detergent after he was assigned to clean staff toilets at the magistrates’ court, and was later rushed to Marondera District Hospital by prison wardens.
Prior to the incident, Ziira had been sentenced to 10 years on one count of carjacking and armed robbery by magistrate Josephine Sande.
However, Ziira, who pleaded guilty to the charges had three years suspended on condition of good behaviour.
He will serve an effective seven-year jail term. According to court papers, on October 22 this year, Ziira and his alleged accomplice Takudzwa Mangoma, who is still at large, approached Island Mukucha at Dombotombo Township and asked him to help them to jump-start their car that had developed a battery fault.
Mukucha agreed and drove the pair to where they claimed the car was parked. After failing to locate the said car, Mukucha became apprehensive.
The court heard that Ziira grabbed him and pulled him off the driver’s seat and covered his face with a T-shirt before driving towards Macheke.
Ziira and his alleged accomplice later dumped Mukucha at the rail-road crossing line in Headlands after robbing him of his clothes and cellphone.
The robbers then sped off leaving Mukucha stranded. However, they later dumped the vehicle after it developed a mechanical fault about a kilometre from the scene.
Mukucha reported the matter to Headlands Police Station, leading to Ziira’s arrest at Macheke bus stop where he was waiting for transport to Harare. The complainant immediately positively identified his stolen pair of trousers which Ziira was wearing.
Police also recovered Mukucha’s G-Tel 7000 cellphone and the complainant’s vehicle was also recovered the same night.
The total value of the stolen goods was $4 245 and the total value recovered was $4 000.