A 36-YEAR-OLD Murehwa man was yesterday slapped with a six-year jail term for attempting to kill his wife after stabbing her several times with a kitchen knife.
BY DESMOND CHINGARANDE
The convict, Simbarashe Munakamwe, will, however, serve a four-year effective jail term after Harare magistrate Themba Kuwanda suspended two years on condition of good behaviour. Munakamwe is also waiting to be tried at the High Court for allegedly killing his wife’s sister.
Magistrate Kuwanda ruled that Munakamwe did not show remorse for attempting to kill his wife and as such deserved a custodial sentence to deter would-be offenders. In his defence, Munakamwe told the court he was in Mutoko during the time the offence was committed in Mhondoro.
But the magistrate ruled that despite Munakamwe’s denial, he was guilty of the offence basing on the evidence provided by a cellphone service provider on his call history which confirmed he was at the crime scene when he made the last call to his wife.
The court heard on November 24 last year at around 9pm, Munakamwe proceeded to Rachel Kurwakumire’s home and hid himself outside her bedroom.
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Kurwakumire, who was in her bedroom, subsequently went out, whereupon she was tripped to the ground by Munakamwe.
The court heard the convict then stood astride Kurwakumire, who at the time was lying facing upwards, and stabbed her on the forehead and several times all over the body.
After committing the offence, Munakamwe is said to have taken to his heels after realising that Kurwakumire’s brother, George, had woken up from his nearby bedroom.
George and other villagers then took Kurwakumire to a nearby clinic and later proceeded to Nyamweda police post to report the matter, leading to Munakamwe’s arrest in Mutoko.
Valerie Ngoma appeared for the State.