shloboe boe
Danisa Masuku
A MAN who tried to steal a cellphone from a man who was walking with his brother’s wife turned violent and bashed the pair leaving them bleeding.
Stanley Danda from the Kingsdale suburb in Bulawayo flexed his muscles after he was stopped from stealing a cellphone from Sibonginkosi Moyo who was in the company of her husband’s younger brother Dereck Sithole.
The dramatic incident occurred last week on Thursday at around 6PM at Barons shops situated between 4th Avenue and 5th Avenue along Joshua Mqabuko Street in Bulawayo.
The court heard Danda tried to steal a cellphone from Moyo’s handbag but his luck ran out as he was spotted by Sithole.
Sithole confronted him and an altercation broke out as Danda landed blows on Sithole, hitting him in the mouth and leaving him bleeding.
Moyo tried to refrain him from further assaulting Sithole at that moment things turned nasty for her as he punched her several times causing her to suffer a deep cut in the head.
The pair accompanied each other to Bulawayo Central Police Station where they reported the assault incident.
Danda was arrested.
He appeared for trial before Bulawayo magistrate Challenge Mahembe facing two counts of assault. He was a self-actor. Danda pleaded not guilty to both counts.
“I never assaulted them. I can go and get video footage at Barons shop,” he said.
Sithole and Moyo produced medical reports proving that they were injured by Danda.
In a victim impact statement, Moyo said: “The incident happened in a public place as such I felt humiliated as he beat us up in full view of the members of the public. Community service will be an appropriate punishment for him.”
Sithole said: “I was severely injured in the mouth and lost a tooth. He did not show any remorse let alone pay for my medical bills. I feel hurt when I look at him. Community service will teach him a lesson and make him reform from his uncouth behaviour.”
In aggravation, the state said a community service sentence would trivialise the matter and stated that Danda deserves a punitive sentence given that he seriously injured the pair and did not show remorse.
After the trial, Danda was found guilty. He was convicted. Both counts were treated as one for the purposes of sentencing.
The magistrate sentenced him to 12 months in jail. However, four months were suspended on the condition that he does not commit any similar offence within five years. Danda will serve 8 months in jail.
Sinokubonga Nkala
