Evil spirits made me steal laptop - MSU student

A 21-YEAR-OLD Midlands State University student who snatched a colleague's laptop left a Gweru court in stitches when he blamed evil spirits for his actions saying he was making frantic efforts to be exorcised of the evil spell at church.

Midlands State University in Gweru

Fallas Gonyawo, a banking and finance student, pleaded guilty to stealing Tatenda Mukandari's laptop but pleaded with the magistrate to spare him a jail sentence saying he was fighting hard to get rid of the evil spirits that caused him to steal.

"Your worship I have been going to church on several occasions to have the evil spirits cast away but nothing has changed," Gonyawo said to roars of laughter from the court gallery.

Gonyawo also said the court should be lenient with him as his girlfriend was expecting.

Gweru magistrate Judith Taruvinga however said a deterrent sentence was appropriate as cases of theft among MSU students were on the rise before slapping Gonyawo with two months' imprisonment.

The court heard that on the 29th October 2014 and at around 2100 hours, Gonyawo took Mukandari's laptop which the latter had left at a desk in the university's computer lab.

When Mukandari had gone out leaving his laptop on the desk, Gonyawo packed the gadget in his bag and left the computer lab.

After failing to locate his laptop, Mukandari alerted security officers who conducted a security search which was in vain.

However, another student who had noticed Gonyawo packing the laptop described him to the security details leading to the apprehension of Gonyawo outside the computer lab premises where the laptop was discovered in his possession.- New Zimbabwe