HARARE – An inmate who made headlines recently when he staged a dramatic escape from prison officers at the Harare Magistrates’ Court has been handed a 22-year jail term for his offences.

Luke Zinyengere was found guilty by Harare magistrate Letwin Rwodzi following a full trial for escaping from lawful custody and armed robbery.

He committed armed robbery when he pulled a gun and forced a motorist to surrender his vehicle which he drove off at high speed after eluding prison officers, court was told during trial.

Zinyengerere had pleaded guilty to escaping from lawful custody and partially admitted to armed robbery.

He claimed in his defence that he had used a toy gun to seize the vehicle.

However, the state proved that he used a real weapon which had earlier been smuggled into his cell by relatives with assistance from a prison officer.

Zinyengere was jailed 10 years for escaping from prison and 12 years for armed robbery.

In passing sentence, Rwodzi took into consideration that this was a “well-choreographed crime”.

“The crime was committed in a well-planned and sophisticated manner,” she said.

She said the only mitigating factor was that he is a family man and a first time offender.

“But you started at the deep end,” said the magistrate.

“The plan was executed in a movie-style and it traumatised a lot of people including court officials.

“You also traumatised the innocent, the general public who were doing their business and the owner of the car whom you robbed.

“The original crime that he is facing should be considered and in this case there are several cases of armed robbery.

“I will settle for the highest penalty. Escaping from lawful custody shows that you cannot be rehabilitated in the near future. Society must be protected and jailbreak is not a kids’ game.”

The court heard that on the day of the crime, Zinyengere managed to escape and robbed Tinashe Chiyamuro of his vehicle and phones.

He drove at high speed towards Harare’s Kopje area.

The court heard that the vehicle was later dumped along Kaguvi Street where Zinyengere almost ran into a spare parts shop. He jumped off and disappeared.

It is further alleged that police managed to take fingerprints from the vehicle and on the following Monday, they received a tip-off that Zinyengere had returned from Mutare and was trying to hire a car at George Bus top in Ruwa. That is when he was arrested.

A prison officer who allegedly assisted Zinyengere and Tafadzwa Marondera to escape was also arrested and awaits his own trial.

A prosecutor and two of Zinyengere’s relatives were also arrested for allegedly assisting him to escape.