Man spared jail after wife assault

A 66-YEAR-old man who brutally assaulted his wife with a log and left her for dead escaped prison after he was given a wholly suspended sentence of 12 months.

Mthelisi Khumalo, a gardener at Hillside struck his wife Ms Elina Ngwenya (56) with a log on the head until she vomited blood and collapsed. She was admitted to United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH) for eight days.

The court heard that after the brutal assault he bathed her wound with warm water.

During one of the trial proceedings Khumalo said that he did not assault his wife for an empty sack, but she had uttered obscenities and insulted him by referring to his father's privates.

"I assaulted my wife with a switch and not a log after she poured scorn on my father's privates," he said.

Khumalo was arraigned on a charge of physical abuse which was amended to attempted murder due to the severe nature of the assault.

He pleaded guilty before regional magistrate Mr Joseph Mabeza.

Mr Mabeza sentenced him to 12 months in prison which was wholly suspended for five years on condition that he did not commit a similar crime.

The court heard that Khumalo hit his wife with a log that was 1,2m long which was produced in court as evidence. However, Khumalo said he had never seen the log before.