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Wynne Zanamwe, Midlands Reporter
AN 81-YEAR-OLD man from Mberengwa allegedly assaulted his prison officer tenant while attempting to evict her from his house following a misunderstanding over a $30 Zesa bill.
Justin Shoko who resides at stand number 485 Northwood, Mberengwa, appeared before Mberengwa resident Magistrate Mrs Evia Matura facing one count of assault.
Shoko pleaded not guilty and was remanded to June 5.
Prosecuting, Ms Wadzanai Shayanewako said on May 12 at around 6PM Shoko arrived at his house and the prison officer, Brenda Magore, was in the kitchen preparing her supper.
“The accused person, who was drunk, ordered the complainant to move out of his house since she owed $30 for electricity. The complainant refused to move out of the house and this did not go down well with the accused person who started to assault her,” she said.
The court heard that Shoko assaulted the prison officer with fists and also slapped her several times.
“The complainant went to report the matter at the police station leading to the arrest of the accused person,” she said.
Meanwhile, appearing before the same court was a 43-year-old Mberengwa woman who was sentenced to six months in prison for attacking her sister-in-law with a machete for allegedly gossiping.
Mary Knai of Parami Village under Chief Chingoma, Mberengwa was convicted against her own plea of not guilty.
Mrs Matura sentenced her to six months imprisonment which was wholly suspended on condition that she completes 110 hours of community service.
Prosecuting, Ms Wadzanai Shayanewako said on May 20 at around 10AM, Sikhangezi Murova went to look for Knai at her homestead.
“The complainant found the accused person cutting down maize stems with a machete. She went on to ask the accused person why she had insulted her on the previous day and this did not go well with Knai who took the machete which she had been using to cut maize stems and struck the complainant once on the palm, once on the forehead and once on the right breast,” said Ms Shayanewako.
She said that Murova sustained deep cuts on her palm, forehead and right breast.
—@wynnezane
Online Reporter