adminSenior Court Reporter
A PEEPING Tom will have prison walls as his best view for the next six months after he was jailed for gawping at two bathing 11-year-old girls. Eric Mncedisi Nyathi, of Bulawayo’s Gwabalanda suburb, checked out the two girls through the keyhole of his neighbour’s bathroom on 20 November, a court heard.
When he decided that taking in the view was not enough, Nyathi walked into the bathroom and tried to hold one of the girls’ hands, startling the two girls who screamed.
Ms Michelle Chiboiwa, prosecuting, said Nyathi fled the bathroom as neighbours responded to the girls’ screams.
“Nyathi was apprehended and handed over to members of the Neighbourhood Watch Committee who called in the police,” said Ms Chiboiwa. Western Commonage magistrate Mr Themba Chimiso asked Mr Nyathi why he had decided to pry on the girls’ privacy.
Speaking in IsiNdebele, he replied: “Yebo ngiyalivuma icala Nkosi kodwa ngithole umnyango uvulekile ngabe sengilunguza ngifuna ukubona ukuthi ngubani owayegeza (Your Worship, I admit that I committed the crime but I didn’t open the door of the bathroom since it was already open. I just peeped through because I wanted to see who was taking a bath).”
Mr Chimiso convicted Mr Nyathi on his own plea of guilty to a charge of criminal insult and sentenced him to nine months in jail.
Nyathi will, however, serve an effective six months after three were conditionally suspended.
Online Reporter