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Leonard Ncube, Victoria Falls Reporter
THERE was drama at the Hwange Magistrates’ Courts when a 24-year-old man who was arrested after attempting to rape a woman at a cemetery, suffered two epileptic seizures before his sentence.
Melusi Ncube, who was employed as a gardener in Number 2 suburb, was convicted on his own plea of guilty to attempted rape when he appeared before regional magistrate Mr Collet Ncube last Tuesday.
The magistrate then rolled over the case to the next day for sentencing and Ncube suffered a seizure when he was being led into a Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services (ZPCS) truck in the courtyard.
Court officials rendered first aid before taking him to the Hwange Prison cells.
Ncube failed to turn up for his sentencing on Wednesday after he was attacked by another seizure while in prison.
He was eventually sentenced on Thursday.
“The accused is therefore sentenced to six years in prison of which two years are suspended for five years on condition that the accused does not within that period commit an offence of a sexual nature,” said the magistrate while sentencing Ncube.
In mitigation, Ncube had told the court that at some point he contemplated committing suicide at the cemetery after committing the crime.
“I thought of committing suicide after realising that I had committed a terrible sin,” said Ncube.
The complainant, who cannot be named to protect her identity, is aged 40 years.
Prosecuting, Mr Vumizulu Mangena said Ncube attempted to rape the complainant while they were picking scrap metal near Number 2 cemetery.
“On 18 October at around 7.30PM, Ncube and the complainant were together picking scrap metal at the cemetery. He approached the complainant who was sitting down and ordered her to undress as he demanded to have sexual intercourse with her,” said the prosecutor.
The court was told that the woman refused and Ncube threatened to kill her.
Ncube took out a shoe lace from his trousers pocket and attempted to strangle the woman with it.
He also took out a white cloth from his trousers pocket and gagged her mouth after which he forcibly removed her top, the court heard.
Ncube pushed the woman to the ground and mounted her as he unzipped his trousers but she managed to bite his fingers and freed herself before escaping.
She reported the matter to the police leading to Ncube’s arrest.
The woman was examined at St Patricks’ Hospital. -@ncubeleon
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