A 26- YEAR-OLD serial thief who escaped from Bulawayo Central Police Station in 2013 after his arrest for stealing 546 cellphones worth about $35 000, yesterday appeared in court.

Blessing Gwashavanhu of Kambuzuma in Harare allegedly stole the phones and nearly $7 100 cash from shops in Bulawayo’s Central Business District.

Gwashavanhu was detained in July 2013 but he escaped from the police station during the night by using an electrical cable to swing onto the roof of the holding cell.

He was arrested again in April this year, when he stole from Harare shops and detectives transferred him to Bulawayo to deal with his pending cases. Gwashavanhu has already been convicted of a number of theft cases in Harare.

He appeared before Mr Tinashe Tashaya facing charges of escaping from lawful custody, unlawful entry and theft. He pleaded guilty to escaping from lawful custody but denied the theft charges.

Mr Tashaya remanded him in custody to June 8 for commencement of trial.