IN a rare case of swift justice, a Bulawayo man accused of robbing Alpha and Omega Dairy, owned by the First Lady Grace Mugabe, last week, was yesterday sentenced to an effective 17 years in jail.
SILAS NKALA STAFF REPORTER
Nicky Richardson (42) from Sauerstown in Bulawayo was convicted of robbing Alpha and Omega Dairy at 14 Wallsend Road Thorngrove in Bulawayo of $1 205 and Morningside Supermaket of $15 800.
He pleaded guilty to robbery when he appeared before Bulawayo Regional Court magistrate Trinos Wutawashe yesterday. The magistrate convicted and sentenced him to 22 years in jail, five years of which were suspended for five years on condition of good behaviour.
In sentencing him, the magistrate considered that he was a first offender and had not wasted the court’s time by admitting to his offence.
Richardson had told the court that he committed the offence because he was trying to get money for his aunt’s cancer operation.
It was the State’s case that on September 30 at 6pm, Richardson — in the company of Khumbulani Mpofu who is still at large — went to Angeline Hamadziripi, an administrator at Grace Mugabe’s Alpha and Omega Dairy company in Thorngrove, where he pretended to be a customer.
While in her office, Richardson produced a firearm, pointed it at her and demanded cash.
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Hamadziripi then told him that the cash was in a cashbox and the accused then stole $655.
He went on to search Hamadziripi’s handbag from which he took $380 and a mobile phone before scaling over the brick wall and escaping in a car that was parked outside and being driven by another man.
A report was made to the police.
Nothing was recovered of the stolen money.
In a related case, Richardson was also convicted of robbing the owner of Morningside Supermarket.
