Teen hooker murder case back in court

THE trial of a teenage hooker who lured a 40-year-old bar patron from Gijima Night Club in Bulawayo to a dark alley for a sex romp before allegedly colluding with her accomplices to rob and fatally attack him, resumed yesterday at the Bulawayo High Court.

Prisca Mudyanadzo, 18, of no fixed abode, who was used as bait by a robbery syndicate, jointly appeared before Justice Maxwell Takuva with Maxwell Moyo, 22, of Vundu Flats in Makokoba facing murder charges. The other accomplice, Tafadzwa Hove, died on August 8 in prison prompting charges to be withdrawn against him.

Mudyanadzo, who had initially through her lawyer, Nqobani Nyathi, agreed to remain silent in court, gave her testimony.

During cross-examination by Moyo's lawyer, Jabulani Mhlanga, the teenage girl staged a dramatic U-turn by turning against her alleged accomplices.

"I was drinking beer with the victim outside the bar while Hove and Moyo were inside the building. The victim later on offered to have sex with me for a fee and we then left the night club intending to go to a lodge.

"However, along the way, my client changed his mind and indicated that he did not have enough money to book a lodge and I then suggested that we go to a nearby recreational park where we started caressing each other. It was during that moment that Hove and Moyo emerged from the bush," she said.

Mudyanadzo told the court that Moyo struck her client with a stone on the head before, pulling out a knife.

He stabbed him.

"Hove didn't attack the victim, but he was only holding his hands. It was Moyo who attacked the victim before they searched him and took his wallet containing money. They also robbed him of two T-shirts and a pair of sports shoes," she said.

The woman denied that she was part of a conspiracy to rob the victim, arguing that she was an innocent sex worker who eked out a living in an "honest manner".

"I did not lure the victim to the park and neither did I tip Hove and Moyo, but they just followed us. I am a sex worker who raises money in an honest manner. I don't rob people," said Mudyanadzo.

When Mhlanga quizzed her why she accepted money from Hove and Moyo if she was not part of the syndicate, she replied: "I was only given $5 which I was offered by Hove and Moyo and I could not refuse the money because I feared they would kill me."

Mhlanga argued that Mudyanadzo failed to exercise her right to silence because she wanted to incriminate Moyo and extricate herself.

"You realised that you had made a mistake by offering to remain silent in court, but later decided to speak because you wanted to incriminate my client with the hope of going scot-free. You failed to exercise your right to silence as earlier agreed through your lawyer," he said.

Prosecuting, Angeline Munyeriwa narrated how on July 3 last year, Mudyanadzo, Hove and Moyo were drinking beer at Gijima Night Club when they connived to rob the victim who was not named in court.

"Mudyanadzo who was drinking with the victim colluded with Hove and Moyo and they lured the man to a nearby recreational park for a sexual tryst. Hove and Moyo followed and laid an ambush," said Munyeriwa.

They pounced on the man and robbed him of $60, a cellphone and clothes.

The trio fled the scene and left the victim lying unconscious. They went to another night club where they shared the money amongst themselves.

The victim was taken to Mpilo Central Hospital where he later died due to injuries he sustained.

A report was made to the police leading to Mudyanadzo's arrest.

She implicated her accomplices.