Brothers kill in-law

TWO brothers from Plumtree who teamed up and killed their brother-in-law using a hammer and an empty beer bottle during a fight, were yesterday each sentenced to 22 years in jail.

Girtfibion Ntuthuko Moyo (22) and his brother Mduduzi (35), both of Nxele, were convicted of murder with constructive intent by Bulawayo High Court judge Justice Francis Bere in connection with the death of Lovemore Moyo who was aged 29.

Prosecuting, Mr Thompson Hove said on December 19, 2015 shortly after midnight, Girtfibion and Sibanda were drinking beer at Masasa Bottle Store at Nxele Business Centre when a misunderstanding arose between the two.

Mr Hove said Girtfibion violently grabbed Sibanda's collar and the deceased's wife intervened to stop the fight. About 30 minutes later, Girtfibion and Mduduzi met Sibanda on a footpath near the business centre and Sibanda was carrying a hammer.

"Mduduzi hit the deceased with a beer bottle on the face and he fell down and dropped the hammer. Girtfibion picked the hammer and hit Sibanda several times on the face and ribs resulting in his death," said Mr Hove.

Girtfibion took the blood stained hammer to his home where he hid on the roof of his bedroom.

In their defence, Girtfibion and Mduduzi, through their lawyers, Mr Thabani Matshakaile of Lazarus and Sarif Legal Practitioners and Tanaka Muganyi of Dube-Banda, Nzarayapenga and Partners, argued that they acted in self defence.

They said Sibanda accosted them as they were coming from a beer drink during which a fight ensued. They pleaded for leniency, saying they acted in a spur of the moment.

In his judgment, Justice Bere said although the brothers had consumed alcohol, it was clear from their actions that they knew what they were doing when they assaulted Sibanda.

In passing sentence, Justice Bere said the two men deserved a lengthy prison term for killing Sibanda in a callous manner.