Sukulwenkosi Dube Plumtree Correspondent
A GROUP of thieves from Mangwe District who broke into a grocery shop and wiped out all the goods claimed in court that they were under the spell of evil spirits when they committed the offence.Butholezwe Moyo, 32, Godknows Moyo, 30, Zwilenkosi Moyo, 28, Mbalisi Ndlovu and Blessed Moyo, 24, appeared before Plumtree magistrate Gideon Ruvetsa facing unlawful entry and theft charges.

They were remanded in custody to Monday for sentencing.

Siblings Butholezwe, Godknows, Zwilenkosi and Blessed are cousins to the complainant, Auto Sikhosana, 34.

The five told the magistrate that they were Christians and that the devil had tricked them into committing the offence.

“I was working under the influence of the devil Your Worship. I’m an upright person and a devoted Christian. I can never rob a person intentionally, especially the complainant as he’s my relative,” said Butholezwe.

His accomplices also declared to the court that they were devoted Christians.

Prosecuting, Stanley Chinyanganya said the five accused broke into a shop in Makorokoro area in Mangwe belonging to Skhosana on January 6.

He said they damaged a lock chain at Bongani General Dealer and stole goods worth $507.

Chinyanganya said Skhosana’s wife, Erika Moyo discovered the offence on the following day at around 7PM when she arrived at the  shop.

He said Moyo alerted the complainant who made a report to the police.

Chinyanganya said the complainant later heard that his cousin, Blessed, was selling cooking oil from his homestead.

He made inquiries and discovered that the cooking oil was similar to the one which was stolen from his shop.

Chinyanganya said investigations were made which led to the arrest of Blessed.

Blessed later implicated his four accomplices who were all arrested.

An inverter and groceries worth $50 were recovered from the premises of the five accused persons.

The goods which were stolen comprised cooking oil, milk, cigarettes, flour, jiggies, tinned fish, brandy, an inverter, biscuits and other grocery items.

 

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