
HIGH Court judge Justice Esther Muremba has sentenced a Hurungwe man, Learnmore Chimhonza, to two life imprisonments terms for killing his two children aged five and three.
Chimhonza pleaded insanity saying he was mentally unstable when he committed the offence.
In convicting Chimhonza, Justice Muremba ruled that he was not mentally unstable at the time he committed the offence, adding that he had no history of mental illness according to State witnesses.
The State represented by Caroline Mutimusakwa submitted that the murders were committed in aggravating circumstances and prayed for two life sentences, that is, one life term for each child.
Justice Muremba said Chimhonza deserved nothing short of life imprisonment as prayed for by the State.
The judge further stated that Chimhonza committed an unimaginable cruel act by burying his daughters alive, adding that the murders were premeditated because the accused wanted to start a new life with a new wife.
The court heard that Chimhonza of Muendapariwa village, Chief Mujinga, Hurungwe communal lands on August 6, 2019, killed his daughters Shalom and Shammar.