Escapee prison inmate sentenced

A PLUMTREE Prison inmate has been sentenced to nine months after fleeing from the custody of prison officers.

Ephraim Sibanda (30) of Patshu Village in Binga was in the company of 14 other prisoners where they were performing duties at the Plumtree Prison Farm in Plumtree when he escaped.

He was arrested several hours later after he had travelled about 20 kilometres from the farm. Sibanda was convicted on his plea of guilty to charges of escaping from lawful custody by Plumtree magistrate Mr Livard Philemon.

He was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment of which three months were suspended on condition he does not within the period commit an offence of the same nature. Prosecuting, Mrs Rose Sibanda said Sibanda was serving an eight-month jail sentence for unlawful entry at the Plumtree Prison when he escaped.

“On 18 July around 10am Ephraim was in the company of 14 other prisoners watering vegetables at Plumtree Prison Farm under the escort of prison officers. The prisoners were walking in a single file from the dam which is about 30 metres away from the farm under the supervision of four prison officers. Ephraim was the last one in the queue and he took advantage of the situation and ran away from the prison officers and disappeared in a bush near the farm,” she said.

Mrs Sibanda said prison officers pursued Sibanda and they found him walking along a road in Male area which is about 20 kilometres from the prison farm. He was apprehended by the prison officers and the matter was reported to the police.