adminPlaxcedes Hove Court Reporter
A BULAWAYO man escaped from police custody through a window at Western Commonage charge office.
Xolani Sibanda, 45, appeared before Western Commonage magistrate Maphios Moyo facing charges of physical abuse, assaulting a police officer and unlawful escape from police custody.
The court heard how on Sunday, May 11, Sibanda physically abused his wife Nokuphila Dube of Iminyela suburb and threatened to chop her with an axe after she refused him sex.
He also assaulted a police officer who had come to arrest him but was overpowered and dragged to the police station.
The policeman briefly detained Sibanda in the charge office.
While he was writing a charge sheet, the criminal ran towards a window, smashed it with his bare hands and escaped.
Two police officers spotted him, gave chase and caught him after he had fallen into a drainage trench near the intersection of Khami Road and Nketa Drive.
Sibanda, who pleaded guilty to the charges, told the court that he escaped because the police had beaten him.
“I was not thinking straight because the police had beaten me.
“Sometimes I can’t control my temper,” he said.
Sibanda claimed he was HIV positive and asthmatic and begged for a lesser sentence.
“Your worship please bear with me. I am not well. I am HIV positive and asthmatic and prison will not be conducive place for me. I also want to take care of my children,” he said.
In his ruling Moyo slapped Sibanda with a three months prison sentence which was wholly suspended on condition he performs 210 hours of community service at Ntabazinduna Police Station.
derick.khumalo