$500 fine for dad who ran over son

Sukulwenkosi Dube, Plumtreee Correspondent
A 25-YEAR-OLD Mangwe man who fatally ran over his two-year-old son with his car by mistake has been fined $500 for culpable homicide.

Funafuthi Patsi of Simelamela Village in Mphoengs area hit, Ofentse Patsi, while attempting to park his Nissan motor vehicle in his yard on December 23 last year at around 6PM.

The infant, who died upon admission at Brunapeg District Hospital, was standing in front of the car when the accident occurred.

Patsi was convicted on his own plea of guilty to culpable homicide by Plumtree magistrate, Gideon Ruvetsa.

He was fined $500 or with the option of five months imprisonment in case of default. Patsi was ordered to pay the fine by February 15 to avoid jail.

He begged for the court’s leniency saying the loss of his son had been enough punishment.

‘’The death of my son has left me deeply hurt as I’m now left with one child who is disabled. What hurts me the most is that my negligence is the cause of my son’s death,” said Patsi.

‘’He was with me in the car and I was moving the car to the parking bay. My son was calling out for his mother and he disembarked from the car but I didn’t realise that he had moved to the front of the car. It was dark outside and I hadn’t put on my lights which made it difficult for me to see that my son was in front of the car.’’

Patsi said he only realised that he had hit his son when his wife who was standing at a distance came running and screaming towards the car to check on their child.

In his sentence, Ruvetsa said despite Patsi’s misfortune, culpable homicide was a serious offence.

He said the driver’s negligence resulted in his son’s death which called for a deterrent sentence.

Prosecuting, Jane Phiri said Patsi had failed to failed to act reasonably or properly look-out and had also failed to exercise a high degree of caution expected from a driver.