Father beaten to death

A Harare man allegedly beat up his father to death after he had refused to give him money for beer.

Simbarashe Karonga was not asked to plead when he appeared before Harare magistrate Barbara Chimboza facing murder charges.

He was remanded in custody to May 4.

Circumstances leading to Simbarashe's arrest are that sometime last year he asked for beer money from his father and when he was denied the money he assaulted his father to death.

It is the State's case that Simbarashe assaulted the now deceased on the head with a pestle several times until he began to bleed through the nose.

Allegations are that the deceased sustained a swollen head and face and was taken to Parirenyatwa Hospital where he later died.

The State alleges that it has witnesses who can testify against the accused and the pestle used to assault the now deceased was recovered as evidence.

The accused however alleges that he wrote the statement under duress and what he said was because he was afraid,

"I did not assault a dead body but I assaulted a live person and he later died so I cannot say I killed him," he said.