News / National
Taxi driver gets 7 years in prison for attempted murder
15 Apr 2013 at 22:41hrs | Views
A taxi driver was on Monday sentenced to an effective seven years in prison for attempted murder and assisting a criminal to escape from police custody.
Norman Panganai sped off with a criminal suspect with the investigating officer hanging precariously on the door only to stop after the vehicle was involved in an accident.
Panganai (30) denied both charges of attempted murder and assisting a criminal escape from police custody when his trial opened before regional magistrate Ms Fadzai Mthombeni.
The magistrate convicted him after a full trial and slapped him with 10 years behind bars before setting aside three years on condition of good behaviour. In passing the sentence Ms Mthombeni noted that cases of people running away with police officers hanging were now prevalent.
She also noted that Panganai committed a very serious offence which called for a stiffer penalty.
"The accused person showed his disrespect to the police when he helped someone to escape from police custody," said Ms Mthombeni.
"If it was not for the accident, the accused was not going to stop. Complainant was facing death and the accused did not care instead he wished it."
Charges against Panganai arose on November 28 last year when Muchaitei Rugwa who is stationed at Marondera central went to Mabelreign police station to collect Zvidzai Tapambwa to Marondera Magistrates' court.
Tapambwa was facing allegations of theft which was committed in Marondera. While they were still at Mabelreign police station, Tapambwa was handed his belongings including his mobile phone which rang after switching it on. After receiving the phone call, Tapambwa bolted out of the police station heading to a taxi which was parked outside the station.
The taxi had no registration number plates. The investigating officer, Rugwa followed in hot pursuit and when he got to the car Tapambwa had already jumped in and Panganai sped off while Rugwa was hanging on the driver's door.
Panganai punched Rugwa on the face so as to shake him off the vehicle.
Panganai travelled for about 300 metres before he lost control of the vehicle and it veered off the road and hit a tree. The police officer sustained injuries and was rushed to hospital while Panganai and Tapambwa were apprehended by the police.
Norman Panganai sped off with a criminal suspect with the investigating officer hanging precariously on the door only to stop after the vehicle was involved in an accident.
Panganai (30) denied both charges of attempted murder and assisting a criminal escape from police custody when his trial opened before regional magistrate Ms Fadzai Mthombeni.
The magistrate convicted him after a full trial and slapped him with 10 years behind bars before setting aside three years on condition of good behaviour. In passing the sentence Ms Mthombeni noted that cases of people running away with police officers hanging were now prevalent.
She also noted that Panganai committed a very serious offence which called for a stiffer penalty.
"The accused person showed his disrespect to the police when he helped someone to escape from police custody," said Ms Mthombeni.
"If it was not for the accident, the accused was not going to stop. Complainant was facing death and the accused did not care instead he wished it."
Charges against Panganai arose on November 28 last year when Muchaitei Rugwa who is stationed at Marondera central went to Mabelreign police station to collect Zvidzai Tapambwa to Marondera Magistrates' court.
Tapambwa was facing allegations of theft which was committed in Marondera. While they were still at Mabelreign police station, Tapambwa was handed his belongings including his mobile phone which rang after switching it on. After receiving the phone call, Tapambwa bolted out of the police station heading to a taxi which was parked outside the station.
The taxi had no registration number plates. The investigating officer, Rugwa followed in hot pursuit and when he got to the car Tapambwa had already jumped in and Panganai sped off while Rugwa was hanging on the driver's door.
Panganai punched Rugwa on the face so as to shake him off the vehicle.
Panganai travelled for about 300 metres before he lost control of the vehicle and it veered off the road and hit a tree. The police officer sustained injuries and was rushed to hospital while Panganai and Tapambwa were apprehended by the police.
Source - TH
