Gweru man jailed 8 years for attempted murder
By Dumisani Ndlovu
Gweru Regional Court on the 11th of April slapped one of the three attempted murder suspects with an eight-year jail term.
In his ruling Gweru Regional Magistrate, Christopher Maturure said the State had proven beyond doubt that Washington Nhunha (28) had committed attempted murder levelled against him.
He was allegedly in company of two other accused persons, Kelvin Mbedzi and Obvious Moyo who are still at large.
“For the attempted murder conviction, you have to be sent to prison otherwise if I give a community service or a lesser sentence this would be a mockery to the justice system. You are, therefore, sentenced to eight years in prison, one year suspended on condition that you do not commit similar offence in the next five years, leaving you with an effective seven years,” said Regional Magistrate Maturure, replacing a sarcastic smile with a tough expression.
The vigilant Public Prosecutor, Sibangani Dube managed to satisfy the court that the attempted murder was committed with actual intent.
“By denying the charges you wasted the court’s time. You were however captured on CCTV camera and the video used in this court brought overwhelming evidence that you were among those who committed the crime. The complainant was medically examined and the medical report is here for the court to use as an exhibit, “said Prosecutor Dube , while presenting the document.
It was the State case that a misunderstanding broke-out between the core-accused Kelvin Mbedzi who intentionally provoked the complainant, Gugulethu Mathe. Nhunha interfered and pour beer on the complainant and pushed him to the ground, dragged him together with his accomplices, hit him several times on the head and stabbed the complainant with a knife on the right cheeck with an intention to kill him.
Agreed facts are that on the 12th day of March 2024 at Mkoba 15 business Centre, Gweru, Washington Nhunha and his two accomplices unlawfully attempted to cause the death of Gugulethu Mathe.
The accused, Nhunha hit the complainant with an empty beer bottle several times on the head causing deep cut on the back of the head, right side of the head and on the right cheek. The trio assaulted the complainant the head and face with booted feet and stabbed the complainant with a knife.
The accused and his co-accused then pushed him to the ground and dragged him.
“Although you pleaded not guilty there is overwhelming evidence showing that you committed the crime with an evil and criminal intent. You committed the crime in aggravating circumstance by teaming up to assault an individual. What makes the committed crime more aggravating is the use of the weapon, stabbing the complainant several times with a knife. This shows a shocking degree of pre-planning in the case,” Prosecuted Dube.
