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Fungai Lupande Court Reporter
Four Mbare thieves who stole more than $5 000 from a dying woman at an accident scene were yesterday sentenced to 280 hours of community service.

Harare magistrate Ms Barbara Chimboza sentenced Ernest Jonga (23), Sedrick Kachengo (20), Innocent Gumbo (17) and Kelvin John (21) to 18 months in prison, but suspended three months of the sentence for five years on condition of good behaviour.

Of the remaining 15 months, seven were set aside on condition that each of them restitutes Aaron Nyapfumbi of $1 379 by May 30 this year. The remaining eight months were suspended on condition that each of them performed 280 hours of community service.

The court heard that on November 12 last year at around 5pm, the now deceased Cathrine Maramwidze received cash from Nyapfumbi, her business partner, amounting to $5 510 to buy potatoes for resale in Nyanga.

She was involved in a fatal accident while approaching the 68-kilometre peg along the Harare-Mutare Road in which she was seriously injured. The quartet was in a Mazda pick-up vehicle trailing the lorry which was involved in the accident.

They were the first to arrive at the accident scene and they took advantage of Maramwidze’s unconsciousness to search her and stole the cash. Maramwidze was ferried to Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals where she died upon arrival.

On November 27, detectives from CID Highlands received information that some money was stolen at the accident scene. Investigations led to the arrest of the quartet and only $1 710 was recovered.