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Midlands Correspondent
A 38-YEAR-OLD man from Gokwe has been sentenced to 10 years in prison after High Court judge Justice Mafios Cheda found him guilty of fatally striking his ex-wife with an axe on the head over allegations of infidelity.
Garai Siatembe of Madenyika Village under Chief Nemangwe had pleaded not guilty to the 2009 murder. In passing sentence, Justice Cheda considered that Siatembe had been in custody since 2009 and also weighed the extenuating circumstances leading to the murder.
Justice Cheda stressed that the courts did not condone murder.
The State’s case was that Siatembe accused his wife Anna Mpofu of dating his brother Check before they divorced. It was proved that on June 4, 2009 Siatembe met his ex-wife who asked him to follow her, but he instead did not.
Siatembe, who was armed with an axe, later caught up with Mpofu and struck her on the back of the head and just above her left ear. As Mpofu lay on the ground bleeding profusely, Siatembe axed her on the chest and ribs several times. Mpofu died at Sasame Baptist Clinic before she could receive medical attention.
In defence, Siatembe alleged that Mpofu cheated on him with his brother who had paid him two cows in compensation after he reported the matter to the chief.
Mr Tafadzwa Mpariwa prosecuted.
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