News / National
Zimondi denies killing girlfriend
21 May 2013 at 19:54hrs | Views
The trial of Pritchard Zimondi accused of fatally stabbing his girlfriend in Chitungwiza last year opened yesterday at the High Court with the man denying the murder charge.
Zimondi entered a plea of not guilty before the trial judge Justice Hlekani Mwayera saying the woman could have been killed by his ex-lover identified as Vitalis with whom she was having squabbles with.
In his defence outline read by his lawyer Mr Norman Mugiya, Zimondi denied ever killing the woman saying their relations were very cordial and they actually had marriage plans.
Mr Mugiya said Zimondi was actually shocked and devastated to learn of the death of the woman because he really loved her and that he had no reason to kill her.
The court heard that the two would visit each other constantly and the woman would at times spend nights at Zimondi's house.
He argues that they would share house keys to allow them to visit each other at any time and their clothes would be kept at both houses so that they would have no challenges in sleeping over at each other's house.
Zimondi argues that the said Vitalis was bothering the woman to an extent that he threatened to end the relationship because of the man.
The court heard that prior to the woman's death she had a meeting with Vitalis and after that the lovers never met.
Contrary to Zimondi's defence, the State's first witness Simbarashe Piyano, who was friends with the couple, said the two were having problems in their relationship .
Mr Piyano, a taxi driver, says her girlfriend was a close friend to the late woman and by virtue of that relation, the two couples became friends.
He told the court that the woman would share with him problems she faced in her relationship with Zimondi and that she disclosed to him that Zimondi was demanding to have sex with her when she did not like it.
That, according to Mr Piyano, generated into a heated dispute that at one time saw Zimondi threatening to stab the woman with a knife.
Under cross-examination, Mr Mugiya dismissed Mr Piyano's evidence saying it was concocted to nail Zimondi.
Mr Mugiya said when the woman died, she was three-months pregnant and that the alleged dispute over sex could not hold water.
The trial continues today with more witnesses testifying.
Allegations against Zimondi arose sometime in April last year when he allegedly had a misunderstanding with his girlfriend Monalisa Chinomona (19).
It is alleged that on the fateful day, he went over to Chinomona's place where she was alone in her bedroom. Zimondi reportedly entered the house unnoticed, headed for the kitchen and armed himself with a kitchen knife.
He allegedly went to where Chinomona was sleeping and stabbed her with the knife 15 times on her left breast. After the grisly act, Zimondi reportedly left the knife stuck on the woman's breast and ran away.
He was later caught in Harare while trying to flee to Gweru. It is alleged that Zimondi had Chi­nomona's pants and bra on him.
Mr Mugiya is representing Zimondi while Mr Editor Mavuto of the Attorney General's Office is appearing for the State.
Zimondi entered a plea of not guilty before the trial judge Justice Hlekani Mwayera saying the woman could have been killed by his ex-lover identified as Vitalis with whom she was having squabbles with.
In his defence outline read by his lawyer Mr Norman Mugiya, Zimondi denied ever killing the woman saying their relations were very cordial and they actually had marriage plans.
Mr Mugiya said Zimondi was actually shocked and devastated to learn of the death of the woman because he really loved her and that he had no reason to kill her.
The court heard that the two would visit each other constantly and the woman would at times spend nights at Zimondi's house.
He argues that they would share house keys to allow them to visit each other at any time and their clothes would be kept at both houses so that they would have no challenges in sleeping over at each other's house.
Zimondi argues that the said Vitalis was bothering the woman to an extent that he threatened to end the relationship because of the man.
The court heard that prior to the woman's death she had a meeting with Vitalis and after that the lovers never met.
Contrary to Zimondi's defence, the State's first witness Simbarashe Piyano, who was friends with the couple, said the two were having problems in their relationship .
Mr Piyano, a taxi driver, says her girlfriend was a close friend to the late woman and by virtue of that relation, the two couples became friends.
He told the court that the woman would share with him problems she faced in her relationship with Zimondi and that she disclosed to him that Zimondi was demanding to have sex with her when she did not like it.
That, according to Mr Piyano, generated into a heated dispute that at one time saw Zimondi threatening to stab the woman with a knife.
Under cross-examination, Mr Mugiya dismissed Mr Piyano's evidence saying it was concocted to nail Zimondi.
Mr Mugiya said when the woman died, she was three-months pregnant and that the alleged dispute over sex could not hold water.
The trial continues today with more witnesses testifying.
Allegations against Zimondi arose sometime in April last year when he allegedly had a misunderstanding with his girlfriend Monalisa Chinomona (19).
It is alleged that on the fateful day, he went over to Chinomona's place where she was alone in her bedroom. Zimondi reportedly entered the house unnoticed, headed for the kitchen and armed himself with a kitchen knife.
He allegedly went to where Chinomona was sleeping and stabbed her with the knife 15 times on her left breast. After the grisly act, Zimondi reportedly left the knife stuck on the woman's breast and ran away.
He was later caught in Harare while trying to flee to Gweru. It is alleged that Zimondi had Chi­nomona's pants and bra on him.
Mr Mugiya is representing Zimondi while Mr Editor Mavuto of the Attorney General's Office is appearing for the State.
Source - Herald
