Criminal Mastermind Arrested for Stealing Magistrate’s Phone and Shoplifting from Pick n Pay Supermarket
Criminal mastermind, Tanaka Svosve, who was serving community service at Mutare Magistrates’ Court, was arrested for breaking into the magistrate’s office, stealing the magistrate’s phone, and shoplifting from Pick n Pay Supermarket.
Svosve appeared before Mutare provincial magistrate, Mr Tendai Mahwe, last Friday, facing charges of unlawful entry and shoplifting.
The Theft at the Magistrate’s Office
During the court proceedings, Ms Mazvita Kadenha, presenting the State’s case, revealed that on February 20, Svosve took advantage of the absence of regional magistrate, Mrs Phatekhile Msipa, and illicitly entered her office. Undetected, he stole a Samsung S10 Plus cellphone from her table. Mrs Msipa later discovered the theft and reported it to Mutare Central Police Station.
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The Shoplifting Incident
On the same day, Svosve’s criminal activities continued as he was caught shoplifting at Pick n Pay Supermarket. Security guards apprehended him, and he was subsequently brought to Mutare Central Police Station. During a search, Mrs Msipa’s stolen cellphone was found hidden in Svosve’s socks. Suspicion arose when Svosve failed to unlock the phone upon request, leading Sergeant Arizona, who was on duty, to investigate further.
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Identification and Sentencing
Sergeant Arizona cross-checked her records and discovered that Mrs Msipa had earlier reported her phone as stolen. To confirm the connection, Mrs Msipa was invited to the police station, where she positively identified her cellphone. The stolen phone, valued at US$130, was successfully recovered.
The Sentence
As a result of his crimes, Svosve received a 30-month prison sentence for stealing from the regional magistrate’s office and an additional 20-day sentence for shoplifting from Pick n Pay Supermarket. Furthermore, a four-month suspended sentence from a previous case, which saw him serving community service, was also brought into effect. In total, Svosve is now serving an effective sentence of 34 months and 20 days in jail.
