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Court Reporter
Business ground to a halt at Chitungwiza Magistrates’ Courts yesterday when one of the three convicted firewood poachers collapsed in the dock after a magistrate pronounced jail sentence. Crispen Rwaindepi (45) of Chitungwiza could not contain the thought of going to prison after they were each slapped with four-month jail terms by magistrate Mr Kudakwashe Jarabini.
Rwaindepi fell as he was being whisked away to the holding cells.

Prison officials quickly took him to the cells at the courts where they called for an ambulance.
The ambulance arrived in no time to pick Rwaindepi and was rushed to Harare Central Prison hospital.

Rwaindepi and his two accomplices, Wilbert Chirenje (31) and Luckmore Goso (33) had pleaded guilty to contravening the Forestry Act.
Rwaindepi tried to put up a brave face during the passing of the sentence, but knocked off after the sentence was pronounced.

The court heard that the trio had found a lucrative business to supply firewood to an apostolic sect that had gathered in their location.
On September 17, they hatched a plan to go to Dunnie Farm in Beatrice owned by Tasara Muguti.

They cut down indigenous trees and loaded them into a Nissan truck that was being driven by Chirenje.
The trio ran out of luck when Muguti intercepted them.