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Lovemore Meya Court Correspondent
A Harare teenager was yesterday sentenced to three years and four months for breaking into various houses in Beatrice and stealing an assortment of clothes worth more than $700.

Benard Mutangadura of Hopley Farm, who became a father at 15, was on the run after he committed the offences. Mutangadura, in mitigation, told the court that he went into a housebreaking spree to raise money for lobola.

“I was forced to commit the crime since I wanted to raise money to pay lobola after my girlfriend eloped. Her parents started demanding their bride price and I could not raise the money. I have a three-year-old son whom I fathered when I was only 15,” he said.

He pleaded guilty to four counts of unlawful entry and theft before Chitungwiza magistrate Ms Renika Dzikiti at Beatrice Circuit Court.

Ms Dzikiti slapped him with a five-year jail term with a year set aside for five years.

Six months of his sentence were set aside on condition he restitutes $739 to Trynos Mucheuki (37), Pamela Binali (25), Petronera Mawindo (26) and John Chisale (45) all of Beatrice. In handing down the sentence, Ms Dzikiti said; “You have started engaging in criminal activities that are committed by adults. I believe that by committing these strings of offences it was not out of temptation. Courts are encouraged to keep first offenders out of prison, but as for you, you started your career in crime at the deep end,” said Ms Dzikiti.

Prosecutor Mr Donald Mudadirwa proved that from August 18 to November 9, Mutangadura broke into four houses and stole various clothing and chicken feed.

On the first incident, he went to Mucheuki’s house and stole 5X50 kg of broiler feed starter which was on the veranda and disappeared.