adminAuxilia Katongomara Court Reporter
AN INYATHI security guard was yesterday beginning a seven-year jail stretch for attempting to shoot his estranged wife’s lover, while demanding his family back. Phineas Chiruvigwa, 38, of Jena Mine, heard his fate when he appeared before regional magistrate Mark Dzira facing two counts of attempted murder and possession of a firearm without a licence.
In passing sentence, Dzira said Chiruvigwa could have killed someone.
He was sentenced to eight years in jail for attempted murder with two years conditionally suspended, and a further 12 months for illegal possession of a firearm.
Chiruvigwa went to Nqabalezwe Ncube’s homestead on January 17 armed with a Star pistol with five rounds of ammunition, said Tinashe Dzipe, prosecuting.
“The firearm belonged to his employer and he had taken it on the pretext of doing patrol duty within the mine premises,” the prosecutor said.
He said on arrival at Ncube’s residence, Chiruvigwa demanded to see his ex-wife, Prudence Mabhena, who was present.
“He confronted Ncube but he resisted and Chiruvigwa, wanting to prove his power, opened fire using a pistol but missed, prompting villagers who were close by to disarm him and hand him to the police,” the court heard.
In his defence, Chiruvigwa said his former wife phoned him begging him to come and pick up his son as Ncube was abusing him.
“Prudence called me the day before this incident saying Ncube had turned violent towards my two-year-old child. I then went to the homestead and asked for my child back and Ncube ganged up on me with two other men,” Chiruvigwa said.
“I didn’t shoot him and I’m only guilty of possessing the pistol without proper licence.”
In mitigation, he told the court that he was a father of four and his mother had died while he was in remand prison awaiting sentencing.
Online Reporter