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Student teacher gets 15 years behind bars for raping landlady

by Lovemore Meya
03 Oct 2015 at 07:14hrs | Views
A married 31-year-old Seke Teachers College student who lured his landlord to a bar for a drink and later left him there before returning home to rape the man's wife was yesterday sentenced to 12 years in prison. The man told the court that he left his wife in the rural areas with their three children to pursue his education.

He denied rape charges when he appeared before Chitungwiza regional magistrate Mrs Estere Chivasa. However, he was convicted after prosecutor Mr Lovet Muringwa proved a strong case against him. Mrs Chivasa sentenced him to 15 years in prison and set aside three years for five years.

In sentencing him, Mrs Chivasa took into account that he was a first offender. "Although it is recommended for courts to keep first offenders out of prison, but in this regard, you started your career on the deep end of crime. You deserve harshness of the law because what you did was total lack of respect for women.

"The complainant was married only a few months and no protection was used, as such, you can imagine the confusion if she falls pregnant. It is God's grace that she is still with her husband," said Mrs Chivasa. The man pleaded for the court's leniency citing his wish to complete his studies, but Mrs Chivasa dismissed that and advised him to do so in prison.

Proven facts are that on September 13 this year, the man spent the day with the couple and later went to the bar with his landlord. At midnight, the man returned home leaving his landlord behind and on arrival, sneaked into his landlady's room while she was asleep.

The woman woke up when she heard someone inside and saw it was their tenant. She asked him what he wanted and he demanded sex, but she refused. He left the house and went to the bar to join his landlord and returned home five hours later. The court heard that he sneaked into the woman's room and slept beside her.

She woke up on realising that the man was fondling her. He grabbed her and she screamed as he raped her, but no one came to her rescue. After the offence, she reported the matter to the police leading to his arrest.

Source - Herald