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Yeukai Karengezeka Court Correspondent

Harare Magistrate Mrs Ethel Rutendo Chichera has sentenced a thief to an effective one-year jail term after he was found guilty of stealing  blankets and phones in a house located in Borrowdale recently.

Brian James (23) was convicted of unlawful entry charges on his own plea of guilty.

Initially, Mrs Chichera sentenced him to 15 months imprisonment but suspended three months on the condition of good behaviour.

The complainant in the matter is Amanda Nkobwe.

Allegations are that James was recently released from prison through the Presidential amnesty.

The State proved that on May 21 at around 10:45am, Nkobwe left home going to church leaving everything intact and all doors and windows locked.

James then went to Nkobwe’s place of residence and took the key which was on top of the roof, unlocked the door and entered the house.

He stole a Huawei cellphone, an Itel cellphone, an Inverter, and two blankets and went away leaving the door locked.

Later on the same day at around 6pm, Nkobwe returned back and discovered that her belongings had been stolen.

She went to ZRP Borrowdale and filed a report which led to the arrest of James.

The total value of the stolen property was US$230 and everything was recovered.