Farmer acquitted of assaulting widow

Charles Lee Saunders, a farmer from Macheke, was recently acquitted of assault charges after facing accusations from widow Maivepi Jiti, who claimed that he had assaulted her at Yardford Farm. The incident occurred amidst an ongoing dispute over the ownership of the farm.

Jiti alleged that she was attacked by Saunders on March 27, this year, around 6 pm, after she switched off the power in the switch room at the farm. According to Jiti, the disagreement over the power cut escalated into a physical altercation, resulting in injuries.

However, after reviewing the evidence presented in court, the Marondera Magistrates Court concluded that the prosecution failed to provide sufficient proof to support the assault claim. In the judgment, it was noted that in criminal matters where there is doubt about the accused's involvement, that doubt must be resolved in favor of the accused.

The court's ruling stated: "It has been established that in all criminal matters, where there is doubt that an accused person committed an offence, such doubt should be resolved in favour of the accused person. In the result, the accused person is hereby found not guilty and acquitted."

The dispute between Saunders and Jiti over the ownership of Yardford Farm appears to have been a backdrop to the altercation, with tensions escalating between the two parties.

The judgment has brought a close to the case, with Saunders now cleared of any wrongdoing. This decision highlights the complexities of the ongoing farm ownership dispute and underscores the difficulty of establishing criminal liability in the case.