News / National
Murderer gets a wholly suspended sentence for poisoning his son
24 Jul 2014 at 16:02hrs | Views
A 25-year old suicidal Uzumba man was lucky to escape jail for negligently killing his one and a half year old son with poison after the court gave him a wholly suspended sentence.
Taurai Mukamba breathed a sigh of relief after Justice Chinembiri Bhunu gave him a wholly suspended two year term of imprisonment for culpable homicide.
On the 12th of July in 2012, Mukamba, who resides in Jaji village under Chief Nyajina in Uzumba had a domestic dispute with his wife of three years, Sinety Mudukuti over allegations of extra marital affairs.
Their dispute led them to agree to part ways and Mukamba insisted that his one and a half year old son would remain in his care and custody.
The couple fought over the child before Mukamba snatched him from his wife grabbing a bottle of poison and taking off.
The wife followed in hot pursuit but failed to catch up with him until Mukamba's brother, Allen gave chase.
Allen testified that he found his brother drinking the poison while grabbing his son and upon enquiry his brother allegedly put down the child and the bottle of poison before chasing Allen, pelting him with stones.
Suspicions are that the child took the poison during the time his father was pursuing Allen.
Justice Bhunu ruled that the accused had exhibited unquestionable remorse over his conduct and had also suffered much tragedy in losing his only son which would torment him for the rest of his life.
He added that though the court initially wanted to give him a custodial sentence considering that he had spent two years in remand prison, the evaluation by the Community Service Director that the accused was unsuitable for admission to community service, owing to his suicidal tendencies was appropriate.
The court sentenced Mukamba to a wholly suspended two-year term of imprisonment on condition he does not commit an offence involving the killing of another person within the next five years.
Taurai Mukamba breathed a sigh of relief after Justice Chinembiri Bhunu gave him a wholly suspended two year term of imprisonment for culpable homicide.
On the 12th of July in 2012, Mukamba, who resides in Jaji village under Chief Nyajina in Uzumba had a domestic dispute with his wife of three years, Sinety Mudukuti over allegations of extra marital affairs.
Their dispute led them to agree to part ways and Mukamba insisted that his one and a half year old son would remain in his care and custody.
The couple fought over the child before Mukamba snatched him from his wife grabbing a bottle of poison and taking off.
Allen testified that he found his brother drinking the poison while grabbing his son and upon enquiry his brother allegedly put down the child and the bottle of poison before chasing Allen, pelting him with stones.
Suspicions are that the child took the poison during the time his father was pursuing Allen.
Justice Bhunu ruled that the accused had exhibited unquestionable remorse over his conduct and had also suffered much tragedy in losing his only son which would torment him for the rest of his life.
He added that though the court initially wanted to give him a custodial sentence considering that he had spent two years in remand prison, the evaluation by the Community Service Director that the accused was unsuitable for admission to community service, owing to his suicidal tendencies was appropriate.
The court sentenced Mukamba to a wholly suspended two-year term of imprisonment on condition he does not commit an offence involving the killing of another person within the next five years.
Source - zbc
