Josiah Saungweme, a 30-year-old man from Musi Homestead in Mutare, has been sentenced to ten years in prison for a vi0lent r0bbery that occurred in July 2024.
The case was heard at the Magistrate’s Court in Mutare, where Saungweme was found guilty of accosting a complainant at his workplace in Doornfontein Vantage.
The shocking details of the case reveal a brazen act of aggression that involved the forced theft of a vehicle, the intimidation of workers, and the demand for money under duress.
On July 14, 2024, at approximately 9 AM, Saungweme confronted the complainant at his workplace, aggressively demanding unpaid wages.
In a calculated move that relied on intimidation, he forcibly seized the complainant’s car keys , a beige Nissan X-Trail, and compelled both the complainant and other employees into the vehicle.
Under duress, the complainant handed over USD 260, which marked a terrifying violation of his right to personal safety and autonomy.
The ordeal only escalated as Saungweme drove the vehicle to Whitehouse Shopping Centre, highlighting the audacity of his actions as he flaunted authority over those he had coerced.
The situation took a further turn for the worse during the return journey when Saungweme displayed his reckless behavior by forcibly ejecting one of the workers from the moving vehicle after an altercation.
After returning to Doornfontein, the full extent of Saungweme’s criminal intent became clear when he retrieved a machete from a nearby wooden cabin, alarming the victims further and commanding them to exit the vehicle.
In an additional layer of heartache, the complainant’s Redmi cellphone was also taken during this harrowing event, further emphasizing the violation of personal property and security.
Following the r0bbery, law enforcement took swift action as a report was made to the ZRP Dzivarasekwa, leading to Saungweme’s eventual arrest on September 14, 2024, at Bezel Bridge.
Detectives from CID Mutare successfully located the stolen Nissan X-Trail, which had been abandoned in the Wengezi area, and recovered the stolen cellphone in Zvimba.
Ultimately, Saungweme was sentenced to ten years in prison, with two years suspended under usual conditions, resulting in an actual prison term of eight years.
SOURCE : NEWSREPORTZIM.COM
