News / National
Killer teacher abused cocaine
16 Mar 2017 at 09:39hrs | Views
A Gwanda teacher Reuben Maphosa (53) abused cocaine and other dangerous drugs leading to insanity and eventually brutally killing his two granddaughters.
Maphosa of Mafuku Primary School Cottages in Guyu area, Gwanda then attempting to kill his wife, High Court judge Justice Martin Makonese was told on Wednesday.
Makonese said Maphosa could not be held legally responsible for his actions as he was mentally disturbed due to drug abuse, Chronicle reported.
"From the evidence presented before the court, there is a reasonable possibility that the accused person suffered from mental illness at the time of committing the offence. The accused is therefore not legally responsible for his actions," said the judge.
Makonese returned a special verdict of not guilty because of insanity in terms of the Mental Health Act.
Maphosa would be confined to Mlondolozi Mental Institution for further treatment, saying he was a danger to society.
Maphosa was facing two counts of murder and one of attempted murder and appeared normal throughout the entire court proceedings as he gave coherent responses.
He said he agreed with the prosecutor's narration of sequence of events on the fateful day.
Khumbulani Ndlovu, the prosecutor said on July 22 last year Maphosa's wife, Jennifer woke up and caught her husband redhanded smoking dagga. When she confronted him, he apologised.
The court heard that Maphosa thereafter went to take a bath and after finishing he started walking around the house naked.
Jennifer confronted her husband and demanded to know why he was walking n-ked resulting in a dispute. The court heard that Maphosa went to a room where his two granddaughters aged four and 12 years were sleeping.
He turned the axe on the two juveniles killing one on the spot. The other one died later on admission to Manama Mission Hospital.
Maphosa of Mafuku Primary School Cottages in Guyu area, Gwanda then attempting to kill his wife, High Court judge Justice Martin Makonese was told on Wednesday.
Makonese said Maphosa could not be held legally responsible for his actions as he was mentally disturbed due to drug abuse, Chronicle reported.
"From the evidence presented before the court, there is a reasonable possibility that the accused person suffered from mental illness at the time of committing the offence. The accused is therefore not legally responsible for his actions," said the judge.
Makonese returned a special verdict of not guilty because of insanity in terms of the Mental Health Act.
Maphosa would be confined to Mlondolozi Mental Institution for further treatment, saying he was a danger to society.
Maphosa was facing two counts of murder and one of attempted murder and appeared normal throughout the entire court proceedings as he gave coherent responses.
He said he agreed with the prosecutor's narration of sequence of events on the fateful day.
Khumbulani Ndlovu, the prosecutor said on July 22 last year Maphosa's wife, Jennifer woke up and caught her husband redhanded smoking dagga. When she confronted him, he apologised.
The court heard that Maphosa thereafter went to take a bath and after finishing he started walking around the house naked.
Jennifer confronted her husband and demanded to know why he was walking n-ked resulting in a dispute. The court heard that Maphosa went to a room where his two granddaughters aged four and 12 years were sleeping.
He turned the axe on the two juveniles killing one on the spot. The other one died later on admission to Manama Mission Hospital.
Source - online
