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Thandeka Moyo Court Reporter
A 28-YEAR-OLD man was subjected to mob justice when he was caught hiding in a toilet at a Njube home after allegedly failing to snatch a phone through a window.Shepherd Tshuma allegedly tried to steal a phone through Tawanda Bhunu’s bedroom window on September 30 but the man quickly jumped and hit the thief’s hand.

Tshuma fled to a neighbouring house and hid in a toilet, but was caught and assaulted, before he was handed over to the police. He appeared before Western Commonage magistrate Tensy Dube facing unlawful entry charges.

He, however, denied attempting to steal at the house, saying Njube residents assaulted him and sent him to the police after they found him peeing outside a home.

“Your honour I am not guilty of the offence, these people are fabricating information against me. The only offence I am guilty of is peeing in front of Bhunu’s home. I did not try to steal the phone but was given mob justice for peeing at around 7PM,” said Tshuma.

Bhunu however told the court that Tshuma had tip-toed to their bedroom window where he was sleeping with his wife at around 11PM.

“I was sleeping with my wife and I spotted Tshuma who came and inserted his hand into our bedroom through the window. I then took a cooking spoon and struck him once before he could reach the phone which was on the charger,” said Bhunu.

He said he started shouting and some Njube residents rushed to his house and assaulted Tshuma.

“The moment I struck his hand, he removed it and fled but was caught by neighbours and he was assaulted before we handed him over to the police,” said Bhunu.

Taking the witness stand, Bhunu’s neighbour Mbongeni Ndlovu told the court that he caught Tshuma in his toilet in the middle of the night and he claimed he was lost.

“I woke up pressed and decided to go to the toilet. When I tried to get inside, I failed to open and discovered there was someone standing at around 11PM, a stranger. I then asked Tshuma what he was doing and he said he was lost and looking for House Number (address supplied),” said Ndlovu.

He said Tshuma tried to escape but he discovered there were neighbours who were already coming together to help Bhunu.

“I held him and we handed him over to police,” said Ndlovu.

Magistrate Dube remanded Tshuma in custody to October 6.

The state case led by Sibekithemba Dube is that on September 30, Tshuma tried to steal from Bhunu through a window.