Reckless driver sentenced to 30 months behind bars

Takudzwa Mangrozah

Herald Reporter

A 23-YEAR-OLD man has been jailed for 30 months for reckless driving, resisting arrest and assaulting a police officer.

In a statement, the National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe said Malvern Last Chiutsi drove through a red light at high speed in the city centre, endangering the lives of his passengers and other motorists.

When a police sergeant tried to arrest him, he sped off with the officer still inside the vehicle.

He later assaulted the officer and, with the help of his conductor, threw him out of the moving vehicle in Avondale.

The officer sustained facial injuries and was treated at Parirenyatwa Hospital.

Chiutsi was sentenced to 24 months for reckless driving, with his Class 2 licence cancelled, and 12 months for assaulting a peace officer, of which six months were suspended.

He was also fined US$100 for failing to comply with a police instruction, or two months in jail if he defaults.

The National Prosecuting Authority said, “This sentence should serve as a deterrent to other reckless drivers and those who attempt to obstruct law enforcement officers in the course of their duties.”