A teenager with an Apostolic church sect who had grown the habit of sneaking out of the church service to steal valuables left outside the c...
A teenager with an Apostolic church sect who had grown the habit of sneaking out of the church service to steal valuables left outside the church shrine was last week sentenced to 20 months in prison after being convicted of 13 counts of theft and one count of unlawful entry into premises.
Emmanuel John, (18), appeared before Chiredzi resident Magistrate; Geraldine Mutsoto charged with theft of cell phones and money from fellow church members’ bags and a bicycle and was sentenced to 20 months in prison. However, eight months of the jail term were conditionally suspended for five years giving him an effective 12 months behind bars.
The court led by Prosecutor Gladymore Gwara heard that John had grown the habit of stealing from his fellow church members’ bags which they left outside when they entered their sect shrines to pray as is tradition. While his fellow congregants would be deep in prayer John would go to the point where they left their property and rummage through the bags for valuables such as cell phones and money and disappear.
The court also heard that on May 16 last year, Conrad Tavaziva Muwani of 8 Palmer Place, Triangle left his belongings in a bag and proceeded to the Johane Masowe shrine where the night service was being conducted.
When Muwani returned to fetch his bag after the church service at around 1145pm, he was astonished to find his belongings gone. He reported the case to the police which led to the arrest of John after 20 days.
In another incident John vanished with a church member’s bicycle which he had left outside the church shrine as he attended church service.
John was convicted on his own plea of guilty to the theft of cell phones 16 of which were recovered when he was arrested. Also recovered were four sim cards and phone batteries
Emmanuel John, (18), appeared before Chiredzi resident Magistrate; Geraldine Mutsoto charged with theft of cell phones and money from fellow church members’ bags and a bicycle and was sentenced to 20 months in prison. However, eight months of the jail term were conditionally suspended for five years giving him an effective 12 months behind bars.
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The court also heard that on May 16 last year, Conrad Tavaziva Muwani of 8 Palmer Place, Triangle left his belongings in a bag and proceeded to the Johane Masowe shrine where the night service was being conducted.
When Muwani returned to fetch his bag after the church service at around 1145pm, he was astonished to find his belongings gone. He reported the case to the police which led to the arrest of John after 20 days.
In another incident John vanished with a church member’s bicycle which he had left outside the church shrine as he attended church service.
John was convicted on his own plea of guilty to the theft of cell phones 16 of which were recovered when he was arrested. Also recovered were four sim cards and phone batteries
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