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Zvikomborero Parafini
THE 18-year-old maid who made headlines last week after pleading guilty to attempted murder for poisoning her employer was sentenced to an effective three years imprisonment.
Nyaradzo Gosha pleaded guilty to lacing her cop employer, Konai Muzhangiri’s foodstuffs with rat poison when she appeared before regional magistrate Letwin Rwodzi, who sentenced her to four years.
One year was suspended on condition that she doesn’t commit a similar offence in the next five years.
Magistrate Rwodzi said although Gosha was a minor when she committed the offence, she was treated as an adult when she appeared in court.
“She endangered the complainant’s family yet she had an option to leave. The offence was well planned and her moral blameworthiness was high.
“The court will give a short and sharp sentence that will deter accused from committing such an offence,” magistrate Rwodzi said.
The court heard that on April 28, Gosha approached their neighbour, Thandiwe Mandibaya, at Glen Norah Police Camp and told her that she was not in good books with Muzhangiri.
She said Muzhangiri had delayed paying her wages and also claimed that she was being denied food.
Mandibaya advised Gosha to poison Muzhangiri.
Gosha laced various foodstuffs, which included juice, yeast, oats, spices and fenugreek seeds with rat poison in an attempt to kill her employer and her five-year-old child.
When Muzhangiri returned home, she took the juice and smelt the rat poison.
She suspected that Gosha had laced the juice and took it to the police.
Upon interrogation, Gosha confessed to the offence and indicated that she had been advised by Mandibaya.
A food scientist conducted tests and confirmed that the food had been laced with rat poison.
Asked what she was going to do if Muzhangiri and her son had died, Gosha said she didn’t intend to kill them.
Bongani Ndlovu
Mathew Masinge