I was tired, I could not sleep with her: Hubby tells court

A SAKUBVA man who assaulted his wife after she had pestered him for sex  has been hauled before the courts facing domestic violence charges.

Joseph Ngorima (50) allegedly contravened Section 3 (1) (a) as read with Section 4 (1) (a) of the Domestic Violence Act (Chapter 5:16). He appeared before Mutare provincial magistrate Mr Tendai Mabwe last Thursday.

Ngorima pleaded guilty to the charges. He admitted to twisting his wife's breasts but denied assaulting her. The State, led by public prosecutor Mr Fletcher Karombe, refused to accept the partial plea.

Ngorima told the court that by twisting the breasts he was defending himself from his wife who had overpowered him following a scuffle over conjugal rights.

"Your Worship, my wife was merciless and she was overpowering me and demanding sex. She had already torn my clothes and was about to rape me when I twisted her breast and she let go of me. I could not give her sex for I was tired ,Your Worship but she would not hear any of it," he said.

Allegations were that on August 18, Ngorima arrived home around midnight and slept on the floor claiming that he wanted to put on his traditional garments.

The following night, he went to sleep on the floor again, incensing his wife Marian Vhunoni who  demanded to know why he was denying her her conjugal rights. She demanded that they become intimate but Ngorima refused.

"He failed to explain to his wife why he could not be intimate with her. Rather he allegedly struck her with the back of his hand once on her face and also twisted her breasts. He also grabbed her by the neck," said Mr Karombe

The complainant sustained injuries but was not medically examined. The matter was adjourned to September 13 for trial. Ngorima was remanded out of custody on his own cognisance.