Online Reporter
Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu, @DubeMatutu
A COLLEEN Bawn cop will spend the next two years in prison after being convicted of shooting and killing a fleeing suspect during a police pursuit.
Phillip Mwinde (43), who was stationed at Colleen Bawn Police Station, pleaded not guilty to a charge of culpable homicide but was convicted by Gwanda Provincial Magistrate Patience Madondo due to overwhelming evidence.
Mwinde was slapped with a four-year sentence, with two years suspended on condition of good behaviour, leaving him with an effective two years to serve.
According to prosecutor Ngonidzashe Shumba, the incident happened on 30 January 2020 in the Farvic area when Mwinde, acting on the belief that the now-deceased Qhubani Ndlovu was a violent suspect, pursued him with three other officers.
“Upon spotting the police vehicle, Ndlovu and another unidentified man fled on foot. Mwinde gave chase, firing two warning shots with his service CZ pistol,” said Shumba.
Ndlovu allegedly ignored the warnings, prompting Mwinde to shoot him once in the left buttock. The bullet exited through his lower abdomen, leaving him seriously injured.
Fellow officers rushed to the scene and found Ndlovu lying on the ground, bleeding from the gunshot wound. He was first taken to Gwanda Provincial Hospital and later transferred to the United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH), where he died the following day.
A post-mortem revealed the cause of death as hypovolemic shock, intestinal injury, and gunshot wounds.
The court ruled that Mwinde either failed to realise his actions could result in death or neglected to act against that risk despite realising it.
Justice finally caught up with the trigger-happy cop — and now, it’s his turn behind bars.
