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Andile Tshuma, Court Reporter
A BULAWAYO hooker who stole a client’s entire salary after he hired her for a night of pleasure has been sentenced to 30 months in prison.

Valentine Sibanda (22) pleaded guilty to theft before Western Commonage magistrate Mr Abednico Ndebele.

A story in Thursday’s edition of The Chronicle exposed her as a serial offender who changed names each time she appeared in court.

Magistrate Ndebele therefore dredged up records of previous convictions and added suspended portions to make her sentence 36 months.

He said: “You are sentenced to 30 months imprisonment of which six months is suspended on condition of good behaviour. Another three months will be suspended on condition that you restitute complainant $300 by January 30, 2017.

“The three months that was suspended from your sentence for your theft conviction will be added to the 30 months. A further three months sentence suspended following your conviction for impersonating a police officer will also be added to your sentence,” he said.

For the State, Ms Margret Takawira said Sibanda met Mr Doubt Chindove (35) at a sports bar in the city centre and struck a deal to spend the night at his house.

She said Sibanda woke up at around 4AM the following day while Mr Chindove was still asleep.

She stole a wallet containing a driver’s licence, defensive driver’s licence, car keys and $450. She also took a Samsung Galaxy Tablet 3.

Sibanda said she thought Mr Chindove would refuse to pay and decided to take the money and leave.

She told the court there was only $300 in the wallet because they had spent some of the money on drinks.

The total value of the stolen property is               $1 090 and $790 was recovered.

A court heard in July that Sibanda — who had been identified as Siphethile then, lied to her “future in-laws” that she was a police officer.

They believed her as she always wore a police uniform each time she met her lover and this went on for close to a year.

Edson Dzinavanhu, the cop who was Sibanda’s boyfriend, pleaded not guilty to a charge of criminal abuse of duty as a police officer when he appeared before Western Commonage magistrate Mr Stephen Ndhlovu.

Prosecuting, Miss Sibekithemba Dube said Dzinavanhu proposed love to Sibanda in November last year, promised her a police uniform and gave it to her two weeks later at his house.

The uniform comprised a pair of blue riot pants, grey shirt, special tactics unit cap, webbing belt, detachable shoulder titles and ZRP badges for the rank of constable,” said Miss Dube.

She said Sibanda was arrested for a case of theft in Pumula suburb on July 17 this year.

Sibanda’s brother-in-law, under the impression that she was a police officer at Mbembesi Police Station, told the detectives that they had arrested one of their workmates.

Dzinavanhu denied supplying Sibanda with the uniform.

He said when he first went to Sibanda’s house last year in February, he found her already having the uniform.

— @andile_tshuma