Hubby basher escapes jail

A MUTAMBARA woman who struck her hubby with a brick and pot after he had refused to give her money escaped jail by a whisker after a Mutare Magistrate gave her a wholly suspended three months jail term.

Netsai Siliyoni pleaded guilty to domestic violence charges when she appeared before Mr Poterai Gwezhira. She was sentenced to three months imprisonment which was wholly suspended on condition of good behaviour.

Mr Shepherd Chavarika prosecuted.

Circumstances were that Siliyoni's husband Elijah Munyengerwa - a teacher at Mutambara High School - was packing his bag so that he could travel to Mutare when Siliyoni locked him inside the house.

"She claimed that there was no mealie meal in the house and told him that he could not travel without giving her money. Siliyoni suddenly became violent and picked a brick which she used to strike Munyengerwa repeatedly on the head.

"She left him lying lifeless and bleeding in the bathroom and later returned with a pot and started assaulting him again shouting that he was not going anywhere till he gave her the money," said Mr Chavarika.

Vendors who were passing by the house heard the noise. They managed to open the locked door and took the seriously injured Munyengerwa to Mutambara Mission Hospital where he was admitted.

A medical report presented before the court showed that Munyengerwa sustained serious injuries, a deep cut in the head and that he had lost a lot of blood.

The report also stated that the force that had been used to inflict pain on him was severe.

In her defense, Siliyoni told the court that she had acted in anger because Munyengerwa was drunk and wanted to travel to Mutare leaving her and the children without any food.

However, she denied using a pot to assault her husband.

"I only used a brick on his head and for that I beg the court for leniency," she cried.