Online Reporter
Dalyn Chigwizura
A BULAWAYO man took jealousy to unprecedented levels, smashing his wife’s phone to pieces after an unknown man knocked at their door.
Jabulani Maseko (38) has been slapped with a US$120 fine and ordered to pay another US$120 as compensation for destroying the phone.
The green-eyed monster reared its ugly head on 5 June at around 7pm and a simple knock at the door turned into a messy family drama.
According to court proceedings at Western Commonage Magistrates’ Court, Maseko and his wife, Sikhululiwe Ndlovu (40), had a misunderstanding after an unidentified man knocked at their home.
Instead of asking questions calmly, Maseko immediately morphed into demolition mode.
Showing absolutely no regard for his elders, turning a blind eye his wife’s seniority, he went wild.
Prosecutor Tafara Dzimbanhete told the court Maseko grabbed his wife’s ZTE Blade A36 cellphone, hurled it onto the floor and then finished the job by stamping on it.
The unlucky gadget never stood a chance. Its screen was shattered beyond repair, leaving the phone looking more like a puzzle than a communication device.
The damage was valued at US$120 and nothing was recovered.
A police report was filed, leading to Maseko’s arrest and eventual conviction for malicious damage to property.
Western Commonage magistrate Jeconia Prince Ncube fined him US$120 or two months behind bars if he fails to pay.
The court also handed him an additional two-month prison sentence which was suspended on condition that he pays his wife US$120 in restitution.
Ironically, the mystery visitor walked away untouched, but the cellphone paid the ultimate price.
