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Givemore Godzi Midlands Reporter
A NOTORIOUS criminal is nursing gunshot wounds on both legs and recovering under police guard at Gweru Provincial Hospital after he was shot as he tried to flee from the police during indications in Southdowns suburb.

The incident happened on Friday last week when Killias Maphosa, 45, of Mambo, who is facing 43 counts of unlawful entry and theft, tried to escape from detectives.

He and an accomplice Shadreck Ndlovu Chiduza, 49, of 0/50 Njube suburb in Bulawayo, allegedly broke into 14 houses in Gweru where they stole goods worth more than $12,000.

Chiduza yesterday appeared before Gweru Magistrate Tayengwa Chibanda and was remanded in custody to June 20. The magistrate also remanded Maphosa in absentia to the same date as he is in hospital.

Chiduza applied for bail, but was denied as the magistrate noted that he escaped from Harare Central Prison on July 14 last year where he was serving a 10-year jail term for armed robbery.

Prosecutor, Langton Magara said between October 2015 and June 2 this year, Chiduza and Maphosa connived with two other accomplices who are on the run and have been identified only as Garikai and Chris to steal from several houses in Lundi Park, Southdowns and other suburbs in Gweru.

The court heard that the quartet armed themselves with house breaking equipment and broke into 14 houses at night.

“On June 2, Chiduza was arrested in Bulawayo after a tip-off. He then implicated Maphosa who was arrested at his house in Mambo, Gweru,” said Magara.

“Both accused persons made indications to the police leading to the recovery of 12 Plasma televisions and other household goods from people who had purchased the goods from the accused persons.”

Magara said Maphosa who tried to escape while making indications to the police last Friday was shot in both legs and is admitted to Gweru Provincial Hospital.

The court heard that total value of property stolen was $12,000 and goods worth $11,000 were recovered.