Tinaani Nyabereka.
GWERU – Three man from Gokwe were recently slapped with a six-year jail term each for man slaughter after they beat up an alleged radio thief to death at his homestead in Gokwe North.
Dzingai Mutonga (59), Reason Mutonga (33) and Elton Mabuto (45) pleaded guilty to charges of culpable homicide when they appeared before High Court judge, Justice Martin Makonese.
Justice Makonese suspended two years on each sentence on condition that the trio will not commit a similar crime for the next five years.
State facts as presented by state council Mirirai Shumba were that on November 8, 2017 at around 1100 hrs, the now deceased; Stephen Muzenda (33), of village 17B under Chief Chireya of Gokwe North was at home in a kitchen hut seated on a chair when the accused persons arrived.
The trio got into the hut and started accusing the deceased of stealing a radio set and an okapi knife belonging to one of them.
The deceased refuted the allegations whereupon they started assaulting him.
Mabuto kicked the deceased on the head with booted feet while Dzingai and Reason assaulted him with fists and booted feet all over the body.
Dzingai and Reason then armed themselves with logs that they used to beat the now deceased all over the body several times.
Mabuto also instructed the duo to beat the deceased below the buttocks.
The deceased started crying and the accused stopped the assault and left deceased person groaning in pain. The deceased sent one of his sons to look for assistance from one of the neighbours, Onias Muchowe, who came and found Muzenda already dead.
A police report was made leading to the arrest of the three accused persons. The body of the deceased was ferried to United Bulawayo Hospital for a post mortem.
The cause of the death was found to be asphyxia and Broncho aspiration damage due to severe assault.
The post mortem report was produced in court as exhibit.court
