Online Reporter
Dalyn Chigwizura Court Reporter
A 28-YEAR-OLD Bulawayo man who struck his wife on the head with an empty bottle before biting her finger during a domestic dispute has been sentenced to community service.
Obvious Chadereka was convicted on his own plea of guilty to physical abuse when he appeared before Western Commonage magistrate Mr Jeconia Prince Ncube.
He was initially sentenced to 15 months in prison. Six months were suspended for five years on condition he does not commit a similar offence during that period. The remaining nine months were set aside on condition he performs 315 hours of community service at Western Commonage Police Station, beginning Monday. The community service must be completed within nine weeks.
Prosecuting, Ms Cathrine Kuzu said the assault occurred on December 4 around 9PM after Chadereka and his wife, Sekai Tauzeni (23), quarrelled over an undisclosed issue.
“In the course of the misunderstanding, the accused struck the complainant three times on the head with a bottle and bit her left finger,” she said.
In his defence, Chadereka claimed he acted in self-defence, alleging that his wife had grabbed his private parts during the dispute. A police report was filed, leading to his arrest.
derick.khumalo