A TEACHER who worked illegally as a labourer on Teesside after he fled Zimbabwe from Mugabe’s thugs has walked free from court.

Takwana Simbi, 41, used false identification papers to stay in the UK after he was driven from his family’s farm by gangs from the ruling party.

The primary school teacher arrived in April 2004 on a visitor’s permit which did not allow him to work, Teesside Crown Court was told on Friday.

But after his girlfriend fell pregnant with twins he decided to find a labouring job to support his family and his son back in Zimbabwe who needed to pay for medical treatment for HIV.

He registered with two recruitment agencies as George Simbi with false documents and he also claimed he was destitute and received £9,226 in benefits, said prosecutor Richard Parsell.

Mr Parsell added: “People cannot be deported to Zimbabwe at the present time due to the current economic situation there.

“In circumstances which prevail in this case courts have tended towards terms of imprisonment of six to 12 months.”

Peter Wishlade, defending, told the judge: “He was driven from Zimbabwe by inflation of 10,000% and thugs taking action against people who did not support the so-called legal regime.

“He was teaching English at a primary school but unfortunately he was a member of the Movement for Democractic Change.”

Judge George Moorhouse told Simbi: “You were desperate to look after your family. I think there are exceptional circumstances here.”

Simbi, of Granville Road, Middlesbrough, was given an eight month jail sentence suspended for two years with 200 hours unpaid work after he pleaded guilty to three charges of using a false identification with intent to deceive. Gazzette Live

By Staff reporter and agencies