Man jailed for murdering wife

A Rusape man who caused the death of his wife by violently pushing her against a wardrobe and a water pump will spend the next five years behind bars.

Humphrey Chimunya (36) of Inyati Mine will, however, serve two years after regional magistrate Mr Livingstone Chipadza suspended three years on condition of good behaviour.

Chimunya, who was represented by Mr Maxwell Chiwanza of Chiwanza and Partners, had pleaded guilty to culpable homicide.

According to the statement of agreed facts between the defence and state prosecutor Mr James Wirima, Chimunya and his now deceased wife Violet Rebium had a misunderstanding and a fight erupted, which led to Chimunya violently smashing his wife against a wardrobe and a water pump.

"On  January 9, 2014 at around 2100hrs, the now deceased and the accused were at their homestead when they retired to bed.

"During the night a misunderstanding arose between the deceased and the accused. They were sleeping together in the same bed in their bedroom.

"The two started fighting and during the fight the accused hit the deceased, held her and violently pushed her against a wardrobe and an engine which were in the bedroom.

"The deceased fell on the engine so forcefully that she sustained injuries to her chest.

"The accused realised that the deceased was no longer speaking and was breathing heavily. He called other people to assist him. The deceased was rushed to Bingaguru Clinic where she later died.

"Her body was ferried to Chitungwiza Hospital where a postmortem showed that she had sustained fractured ribs. Dr Aguero concluded that the cause of the death was due to chest injuries," read the statement.