University student arrested after being caught shoplifting perfumes

A university student who has been in the habit of shoplifting expensive deodorants from Pick n Pay supermarket has been slapped with a 30-day jail term.

Tinotenda Mandemwa (21), who is studying for her Bachelor of Medical Laboratory Sciences degree at a local university was convicted on her own guilty plea when she appeared before Mutare provincial magistrate Mr Tendai Mahwe.

In passing sentence, Mr Mahwe said shoplifting offences are on the rise, therefore the need for deterrent sentences that will help lessen and later stop such crimes. He, however, noted that it was mitigatory that Mandemwa was a youthful offender and that it was her first offence.

“It is aggravatory that you made a habit of shoplifting and on different occasions shoplifted expensive perfumes thinking that you had gotten away with it in the first instance. However, it is the court’s mandate to keep youthful offenders out of jail and therefore a fine is reasonable,” said Mr Mahwe.

He slapped her with a 30-day jail term, which he, however, gave an optional $60 fine which was to have been paid up that same day. Mr Fletcher Karombe prosecuted.

The court heard it that on January 9, and at around 9am, Mandemwa entered Pick n Pay supermarket and took two 50ml bottles of Colour Me perfumes, which she put in her handbag and left without paying.

The supermarket’s CCTV operator only noticed that Mandemwa had stolen the perfumes which were valued at $25 after she had left the supermarket.

She, however, came back to the same supermarket four hours later with the intention of stealing again. She proceeded to the deodorants aisle and took two 50ml bottles of Colour Me perfumes again together with a bottle of Nivea lotion.

She stashed the goods which were worth $36 in her handbag and attempted to leave the shop without paying again.

Luck was not on her side as she was apprehended as she tried to leave the supermarket. She was subsequently arrested. All the perfumes and lotion were recovered.Asked on why she stole, Mandemwa told the court that it had just happened and that it was not her fault.

Mr Mahwe advised her to concentrate on her schooling and abstain from shoplifting as it would land her in jail with no optional fine sentence.