Bus Conductor’s Quick Thinking Foils Gweru Man’s Attempt to Pawn Stolen Itel Phone
A Gweru man found himself behind bars after attempting to pawn a stolen Itel phone as bus fare to a bus conductor. The incident unfolded on the evening of June 29th, 2024, around 11pm.
Brazen Break-In and Theft
According to reports, Sean Mutsengi broke into a house in Mbizo, Kwekwe, while the complainant was sleeping. He took her Itel A70 phone and a black jacket before fleeing unnoticed.
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Conductor’s Vigilance
Mutsengi, desperate to make his way back to Gweru, struck a deal with the bus conductor in the following morning. He used the stolen phone as collateral for a “pay-forward” arrangement, as he lacked cash at the time. During the journey, the complainant started calling her phone, and the conductor, upon telling Mutsengi that his phone was ringing and him ignoring it, grew suspicious. Irritated with the phone ringing, the conductor answered and was informed by the owner of the cellphone that it had been stolen.
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Conductor’s Quick Thinking Leads to Arrest and Recovery
Upon reaching the destination in Gweru, the bus conductor informed the authorities, leading to Mutsengi’s arrest. The stolen items were valued at a total of US$115, with US$100 recovered during the investigation.
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Court Proceedings
Mutsengi appeared before the Kwekwe Magistrate’s Court, facing charges of aggravated unlawful entry. The court sentenced him to 14 months in prison, with 4 months suspended for 5 years. The remaining 10 months were also suspended, on the condition that Mutsengi performs 350 hours of community service.
“The accused person was sentenced to 14 months imprisonment of which 14 months were suspended for 5 years. The remaining 10 months were suspended on condition that the accused person performs 350 hours of community service,” read the NPAZ press statement.