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A Beatrice woman was left wheelchair-bound after her husband severely assaulted her because there was no more meat in the house.
Tsitsi Shoko (39) of Plot 289 of Edenburg Farm, regained consciousness at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals to find she could no longer walk after Gift Chikwatu (27) attacked her.
The assault took place on December 6 last year at around 2pm, when Chikwatu asked his wife to serve him some more meat.
Shoko told him that there was nothing left and this sparked a heated argument.
Chikwatu grabbed his wife and tossed her to the ground, resulting in her fracturing her neck. As she lay on the ground, Chikwatu took a hoe handle and struck her on the head.
She collapsed and was rushed to Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals where she was resuscitated. The matter was reported to the police leading to Chikwatu’s arrest.
He pleaded guilty to physical abuse charges before Chitungwiza magistrate Mr Lazarus Murendo and was handed a five-year jail term.
Mr Murendo suspended a year from his sentence on condition of good behaviour.
In assessing sentence, Mr Murendo said that cases of domestic violence had reached alarming proportions.
“Every day, the courts deal with cases of involving gender-based violence. There is a general public outcry over the seemingly lenient sentences that are being meted out by the courts in such cases.
“In most of the cases, women and children are on the receiving end while most of them ended up either dead or seriously injured,” he said.
Mr Tendai Mukariri prosecuted.
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