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Tendai Rupapa Senior Reporter
A three-member gang that has been spraying victims with an unknown substance while they were sleeping and vanishing with goods worth thousands of United States dollars in the affluent suburbs of Harare, appeared in court yesterday.

The gang also broke into dormitories at Heritage School during the night and escaped with MacBooks, shoes, tracksuits, bags, wristwatches and cash, among other items.

The school’s security guard was stabbed and left for dead when he tried to apprehend the trio.

A mobile phone which they had stolen gave them away after one of them gave it to his girlfriend as a gift before it was tracked.

Tawanda Magombo (25), Justin Dodzo (23) and Simbarashe Karanda (24) are facing 13 counts of unlawful entry and one of attempted murder.

They appeared before magistrate Mr Edwin Marecha who remanded them in custody.

Prosecutor Ms Flossy Jambaja alleges that on November 18 last year at around 12 midnight, the gang went to Grace Matendawafa’s house in Borrowdale. The trio scaled the precast-wall and entered her house through the window. They ransacked the house and stole four mobile phones, a MacBook, a laptop and a bag all worth US$2 600.

On March 15, this year, Magombo, Dodzo and Karanda proceeded to Heritage School and entered the boarding mistresses’ house through the window, the State alleged.

They stole a laptop and proceeded to the dormitories and stole various items from six students while they were sleeping and went away unnoticed.

They returned to the school eight days later intending to break into the dormitories again. An alert security guard saw them and called for help while giving chase.

The guard was stabbed in the chest by one of the suspected robbers and they fled from the scene.

It is the State’s case that on May 2 this year, the trio proceeded to Willard Gama’s house in Borrowdale where they stole two HP laptops, four cellphones, an assortment of groceries and clothes valued at US$1 750.

Three days later, they went to King Solomon College at around 9pm and proceeded to a room where some students had fallen asleep while studying.

The gang sprayed the students with an unknown substance and they became dizzy.

They then stole their mobile phones and cash.

On the same day, Magombo, Dodzo and Karanda allegedly pounced on a lodge in Borrowdale and stole mobile phones worth US$2 000 and cash from the guests.

The three also stole goods worth US$2 500 from Collen Chiwariro’s house in the same area, the court heard.

They allegedly used the same methods to steal from other victims.

Meanwhile, a Harare man has been jailed for an effective 24 months for unlawful entry and stealing money and other valuables worth US$1 590, writes Geraldine Zaranyika.

Jamie Pope (20) appeared before Harare magistrate Mr Edwin Marecha yesterday facing charges of unlawfully entry into premises in aggravating circumstances.

He pleaded guilty.

Mr Marecha initially sentenced him to 30 months in prison before suspending six months for five years on condition of good behaviour.

Agreed facts are that on May 18, Pope hatched a plan to steal from Anna Mapanzure’s house. He broke part of the precast wall to gain entry into the premises.

He broke the kitchen window to gain entry into the house. Once inside, Pope proceeded to the bedroom while Mapanzure was taking a bath and stole an HP laptop, laptop charger, Samsung S6 Edge cell- phone, external hard drive, laptop bag and US$250 cash.

Mapanzure caught a glimpse of Pope while he was hiding behind the kitchen door. Mapanzure quickly rushed to her bedroom and called the caretaker for assistance.

The caretaker gave chase and apprehended Pope with the help of Assistant Inspector Dube and other members of the public who had been alerted by Mapanzure.

The stolen property and cash was subsequently recovered.