adminEmily Mbewe Court Reporter
A 33-YEAR-OLD man has been arraigned for stoning a police officer who had arrested his friend. Adam Ncube of Emganwini suburb pleaded guilty to a charge of assault when he appeared before Western Commonage magistrate Willard Maphios Moyo. He was sentenced to a wholly suspended 18 months in prison.
Three months of the sentence were suspended for five years on condition Ncube does not commit a similar offence within a period of five years while the remaining 15 months were suspended on condition that he performs 420 hours of community service at Senzangakhona Primary School.
Magistrate Moyo said Ncube was lucky to get away with a light sentence because he committed the offence fully knowing that he was assaulting a police officer.
He added that the crime usually carries a jail term of a maximum of 10 years imprisonment.
“All that you stated in mitigation was noted, you are a first offender who pleaded guilty and did not waste the court’s time. When you committed the offence you had consumed alcohol and what’s disturbing is that when you committed it you knew he was a police officer,” said Moyo.
Prosecuting, Nomzamo Ndlovu told the court that on April 2 at around 12AM Constable Amos Dzenga was with Constable Andrade Stephen when they attended a case of assault at Marula Sports Club.
The court heard that the officers came across Thabani Nkomo who was involved in a fist fight with Timela Sibanda.
Ndlovu told the court that the two swiftly reacted and handcuffed Sibanda. When they were about to cuff Nkomo, Ncube picked up a stone.
“Ncube used the stone to hit Dzenga behind his neck and he sustained a laceration,” said Ndlovu.
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