adminDanisa Masuku
THREE MEN who took turns to assault and stab a police officer on the arms, shoulder and buttocks have each been convicted and sentenced to serve six years in jail.
Nkosilathi Ngwenya (21), Mduduzi Sibanda (22) and Melusi Ngwenya (23) routinely appeared for trial before Bulawayo regional magistrate Dambudzo Malunga each facing charges of attempted murder and escaping from lawful custody.
They pleaded not guilty to both charges. However, after making several appearances for trial, Ngwenya and his accomplices were found guilty.
For attempted murder charges, they were each sentenced to serve five years behind bars and all had one year suspended for good behaviour.
The magistrate then slapped each of them with a two-year jail sentence for escaping from lawful custody. They will each be caged for six years.
In sentencing them, the magistrate said the trio publicly humiliated a police officer, Constable Simbarashe Mhembere, as they manhandled him and severely punched and kicked him before stabbing him with an okapi knife.
The court also noted that the trio wrestled the handcuff keys from Mhembere and uncuffed one of their accomplices while a mob was watching.
In his defence, Melusi said when he arrived at the scene there were a lot of people and within a few minutes his brother phoned him asking him to accompany him to a mine in Inyathi.
He told the court that he then left to join his brother and did not participate in the crime.
Melusi said while he was sleeping police officers came in the middle of the night and took him to a police station where they allegedly assaulted him and forced him to admit that he assaulted and stabbed Constable Mhembere who is stationed at Cowdray Park Police Station in Bulawayo.
Mduduzi said while he was at his home sleeping with his wife, cops swooped on him and beat him up, forcing him to admit that he took part in assaulting and stabbing Mhembere.
He said he failed to sit due to severe assault all over his body and sought medical attention.
Nkosilathi said he passed by the crime scene on his way to the shops and later on the same day cops pounced on him at his home and severely beat him up, forcing him to admit that he was involved in the assault and stabbing of the cop in question.
The trio also denied ever escaping from lawful custody. However, the court found them guilty.
It was alleged that on 15 February at around 12pm Constable Mhembere and Constable Mandoreva attended a murder scene in Bulawayo’s Cowdray Park suburb.
It is said they tried to arrest Melusi, Nkosilathi and Mduduzi but they resisted arrest and turned violent. They allegedly stabbed Mhembere with a knife on the arms, forehead, shoulder, ribs and buttocks.
He fell and bled profusely. It is said they head-butted him, took his handcuff keys, and uncuffed one of their accomplices before they fled. The incident was reported to the police leading to the arrest of the trio.
Online Reporter