HARARE - A convicted armed robber attempted to commit suicide in court yesterday.

Tendai Leanne Muza, 33, was about to hear his sentence on three counts of armed robbery when he pulled out a fruit juice bottle and gulped down the liquid.

Muza gulped the toxic concoction just as Harare regional magistrate Fadzai Mthombeni was about to read the sentence.

Just before he drank the liquid, Muza interjected the magistrate with a request.

Muza told the court that “I have a confession” and took out a paper were he read how it was unfortunate that he was going to serve time for a crime he did not commit.

“The court has found me guilty of a crime that Fraser committed and yet he is walking free,” a contrite Muza said. “I have decided that my matter be finalised in heaven and if you may tell my family of how their father died. I am going to kill myself.”

When asked about the contents of the bottle, he retorted that it was toilet dip that he had smuggled into remand prison and later brought to court. He then gulped down the contents and collapsed. He was carried out of court by prison guards and rushed to hospital.

Muza will have his sentence read to him today.

The court heard that in May and July, 2012 and in the company of his friend who is already serving time, Muza robbed two taxi drivers of their vehicles.

The duo hired the cars but, along the way they would produce a knife and threaten the drivers.

After dumping the taxi drivers in secluded places, Muza would strip the cars of their parts and sell them at Siya-So market in Mbare.