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Peter Matika, peter.matika@chronicle.co.zw
BULAWAYO High Court judge, Justice Naison Chivayo has sentenced a 30-year-old man to an effective 15 years in jail for the murder of a bar patron during a moment of hysteria in 2023.
Eric Ngonidzashe Jena, who was 29 at the time he committed the offence, pleaded not guilty to the murder of Wilfred Maderera who was 27 at the time of his death.
Jena was convicted of murdering Maderera by stabbing with a broken beer bottle in the neck during a moment of hysteria.
He was, however, found guilty beyond reasonable doubt after all witnesses gave concurrent testimonies of the events that occurred on the fateful day.
The judge convicted Jena of murder with actual intent and sentenced him to 15 years in prison after a full trial.
According to the State’s case as presented by Mr Kudakwashe Jaravaza the incident occurred on June 2, 2023 at around 8PM.
“Jena went to Shelbastic Sports bar in Pumula North and started drinking alcohol from the bar. While at the bar he witnessed the deceased drunk and behaving in a rowdy manner, provoking other patrons together with his friends from the Ndola area,” said the prosecutor.
“He tried to reason with them to stop their behaviour, and one Godknows punched him once in the face.”
Mr Jaravaza said Godknows then ran out of the bar, with Jena in pursuit.
“Godknows’ friends and the deceased also followed him out of the bar to an open space in front of the bar.
“He then broke a beer bottle in a bid to scare them. However, he claims he was hit by an unknown object from the crowd and he blacked out at that point.
“When he regained consciousness he discovered the deceased could not stand and was bleeding profusely from the neck.
“He then took his T-shirt and tried to stop the bleeding. The deceased unfortunately lost his life despite the accused’s efforts,” said Mr Jaravaza.
One witness told the court that he heard Jena say he wanted to stab boys from the Ndola area because they hurt him and wanted revenge.
“The accused broke a black label bottle and chased after Godknows Bigson Banda who ran around a white Honda Fit that was parked nearby.
“The accused then ran after the deceased and stabbed him in the neck, which resulted in his demise,” said a witness.
Another female witness Rossane Muzenda said Muderera was seated on some empty crates next to the door of Shelbastic Sports Bar with his girlfriend identified as Ronia Kutsanzira.
“The deceased fell from his chair and unintentionally elbowed me. This did not go down well with one Brighton Gwara who went on to kick the deceased in the chest,” she said.
“I managed to restrain Gwara from further assaulting the deceased and he apologised.
“After a few minutes, the deceased had an altercation with one Ayanda Ncube. I then went out of the sports bar to look for Gwara’s slippers and met the Jena who indicated that boys from Ndola hurt him and he wanted to mete revenge and broke a beer bottle,” said Muzenda.
She said Jena then ran after Maderera and stabbed him on the side of the neck.
“I could see Jena, the scene of the crime was lit by the security lights. I was about four metres from where Maderera was stabbed.
“The accused removed his T-shirt and placed it on the injured part of the deceased,” she said.
Another witness Ronia Kutsanzira who was Maderera’s girlfriend at the time of his death gave a similar account of what transpired.
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