Zim thief sentenced to 6 lashes for stealing a home theatre

A Zimbabwean learnt the hard way not to escape from custody when he was lashed three times on the buttocks for running away from the police.

Elvis Sibanda (23) was a suspect in a burglary he did not commit but he went ahead and committed a crime when he escaped from police custody while awaiting trial. Sibanda was accused together with his friend, Mduduzi Ncube (28), but was later proven innocent after Ncube pleaded guilty to stealing and absolved Sibanda.

Appearing before Kgosi Oleyo Ledimo of Maun Customary Court, Ncube told the court that his friend was not involved in the said crime. The court heard that on the 6th of July 2012 Ncube broke into Baruti Molelo's house while he was away and stole a home theatre system worth P1 200 and a DVD player. On the 11th of the same month Ncube went back to Molelo's house with the intention to steal some more but found the house owner at home.

Security Systems guards who came to Molelo's rescue followed the thief's footprints to Ncube's house where they recovered the stolen sound equipment. In mitigation Ncube asked for a lenient sentence because he was the bread winner in his family. He was lashed six times on the bare buttocks.

Meanwhile Kgosi Ledimo lectured young Sibanda on the dangers of escaping from custody.

"Had you not escaped from custody, you would have walked away freely but now you should know that you are no longer a first offender because of your conviction. I wonder why you escaped when you knew very well that you were not guilty."

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