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Lovemore Meya Court Correspondent
A 19-year-old rank marshal refused an offer to perform community service instead of being jailed for bedding his 14-year-old girlfriend, and will now go to jail for eight months.
Trust Mushoni of Zengeza 4 in Chitungwiza pleaded guilty to charges of having sexual intercourse with a person under the age of consent before Chitungwiza magistrate Mr Lazarus Murendo.
Mr Murendo asked court orderlies to accompany the man for vetting at the community service office, when he protested that he would not perform it.
Mushoni was brought back to court and, when asked by Mr Murendo why he did not want the community service option, he said: “I am a rank marshal, doing community service would not allow me time to look for money. I would rather pay a fine.”
So Mr Murendo, faced with the refusal, gave Mushoni a custodial sentence. Mushoni was slapped with a one-year prison term with four months set aside for five years. In sentencing him, Mr Murendo noted that Mushoni had ruined the girl’s life.
“The complainant is a girl of a tender age. Her future has already been ruined. Although, the court was initially of the view that due to accused’s youthfulness he could benefit from community service, but he has shown unwillingness to do it,” Mr Murendo said.
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