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Leonard Ncube, Victoria Falls Reporter
A 37-year-old Victoria Falls man who went on a housebreaking spree at night in Mkhosana suburb stealing cellphones has been arrested.

Member Mudenda residing at 1149 in Aerodrome used a metal bar with a hook on one end to force open closed doors or fish cellphones out through windows.

He was arrested after investigations by the police following a housebreaking spree between 24 March and last Sunday.

Mudenda pleaded guilty to four counts of unlawful entry and another four of theft when he appeared before Victoria Falls resident magistrate Ms Lindiwe Maphosa.

The magistrate sentenced him to four years in jail for the unlawful entry counts and a further two years for the theft counts.

Three years were suspended on condition that Mudenda does not commit similar offences within five years.

He will serve an effective three years in jail.

Prosecuting, Mr Onias Nyathi said Mudenda used the same modus operandi to break into houses while the occupants were asleep at night.

“On the 24th day of March the complainant Ms Christine Mpofu of Mkhosana retired to bed at night leaving her property intact. During the same night the accused person proceeded to the complainant’s place of residence and inserted a hook through the bedroom window and fished out a cellphone,” said Mr Nyathi.

He said Mudenda went away without being noticed.

Ms Mpofu discovered that her phone was missing in the morning and reported the matter to the police.

The following night, the court was told, Mudenda broke into Ms Eunice Dube’s place of residence in the same suburb where he used a metal bar to force open a locked door to gain entry into the sitting room.

He took a cellphone and went away unnoticed.

On March 26 Mudenda broke into Mr Hillary Tshuma’s place of residence using the same modus operandi and stole a cellphone which was in the sitting room while the complainant was sleeping and went away.

Mudenda was at it again on Sunday night when he inserted the hooked metal through Mr Blessed Chamoka’s window and fished out a cellphone before disappearing into the night.

He was arrested after police investigations following reports made by the complainants.

The total value of stolen property was RTGS$13 000 and all was recovered. — @ncubeleon