Sukulwenkosi Dube, Plumtree Correspondent
A MAN who was recently released from jail through a Presidential pardon has been sent back to prison for four years for breaking into a neighbour’s house and stealing a blanket.
Mimina Ncube, 28, of Ntoli area who has four previous convictions of theft told Plumtree magistrate, Livard Philemon that he was driven to theft as he didn’t have any blankets at his homestead.
Philemon sentenced Ncube to an effective four years in prison.
Ncube had initially pleaded not guilty to unlawful entry, theft and malicious damage to property charges but later altered his plea.
He was then convicted for both charges.
“I admit to stealing a blanket Your Worship and damaging property at a neighbour’s homestead. I stole the blanket as I wanted to use it as I didn’t have any,” he said.
Ncube was in May last year sentenced to 21 months imprisonment for unlawful entry and theft.
In August 2013 he was also sentenced to 15 months imprisonment for the same crime .
In May 2013 he was ordered to pay a $100 fine for theft. In the same month he was also sentenced to 15 months imprisonment for unlawful entry and theft.
Prosecuting, Stanley Chinyanganya said Ncube broke into Queen Mpofu’s homestead on May 28 around 3AM.
On the following day, he went to Abednico’s Ndlovu’s homestead where he destroyed a door to his bedroom hut.
‘‘On 28 May around 3AM Ncube proceeded to Mpofu’s homestead and he forced open the door to her bedroom hut and gained entry while she was sleeping in another room.
‘‘He searched around the room and took a two-in-one purple and white blanket which was on the bed. He left everything scattered on the ground and disappeared into the darkness,’’ said Chinyanganya.
He said the matter came to light after Mpofu woke up on the following morning and discovered that her door had been left wide open and a blanket was missing from her house.
Chinyanganya said Mpofu alerted some neighbours who tracked foot prints that led them to Ncube’s home.
He said the blanket, valued R430, was recovered.
‘‘On May 29 around 1AM Ncube proceeded to another neighbour, Abednico Ndlovu’s homestead armed with an axe. He went to Ndlovu’s bedroom hut and the struck the door with the axe and fled into the darkness after realising that Ndlovu had seen him,’’ said Chinyanganya.
He said on the following morning Ndlovu teamed up with other villagers and they tracked Ncube’s footprints leading to a nearby bridge where they found him sleeping.
The villagers apprehended Ncube before taking him to the police.
Chinyanganya said the value of the damage to Ndlovu’s door was R900.