S v Chiurairwe & Anor (CRB 197 of 2015) [2016] ZWHHC 41 (30 January 2016)

1 HH 41-16 CRB 197/15 THE STATE versus ADMIRE CHIURAIRWE and PHILIMON MHONDERA HIGH COURT OF ZIMBABWE HUNGWE J & ASSESSORS MUTARE, 28 October 2015, 2 & 4 November 2015 Assessors: 1. Mr Rajah 2. Mr Chipere Criminal Trial J Matsikidze, for the State C Ndlovu, for the accused HUNGWE J: The two accused cousin brothers face a charge of murder it being alleged that on 14 September 2013 at Kurwaisimba Business Centre Chimanimani, with actual intent or realising the real risk or possibility that death may result assaulted Liberty Mwenje with fists, booted feet, a log, stones and a knife thereby inflicting injuries from which he died. They both pleaded not guilty. In their detailed defence outline the two accused state that they were at the Business Centre enjoying intoxicating liquor. The deceased approached them and indicated that he had an unresolved issue with accused one. Previously, the deceased had fought with their other brother, one Charlie. Accused one had been present. Deceased had claimed on that occasion that had lost his mobile phone and some cash. He demanded a return of these. Accused two suggested to the deceased that since Charlie was around the Business Centre, it was best that the deceased confronts him. The deceased left and they resumed their drinking. Later, the deceased again approached them in the company of Blessing Ziyomo (“Blessing”) and Moses Chivhunga (“Moses”). The deceased’s friends moved ahead as the HH 41-16 CRB 197/15 deceased engaged them again over the same issue. Accused two suggested that they go to the police station for assistance, a stone’s throw away. On the way the deceased’s two friends joined him in the dispute. Blessing initiated that it was not necessary to go to the police. Blessing took each of the accused’s beer bottles and threw them away. Blessing then grabbed accused one by the collar and head-butted him causing him to fall to the ground. As he lay on the ground, the deceased and Blessing assaulted accused one with booted feet all over his body. Accused one got up and exchanged fist blows with Blessing. The deceased produced an Okapi knife and stabbed accused one. He again fell down and cried out that he had been stabbed. Accused two picked up a log and struck Blessing. Moses, who had not, up till then, taken part in the fight came close. This action drew the anger of accused two who then struck Moses with the same log. Blessing and his two friends ran away from the scene. Accused two chased after the deceased. According to accused two, he caught up with deceased and again struck him indiscriminately all over his body using the same log. Deceased escaped and, after a short chase, accused two gave up the chase. Accused two threw away the log and returned to the Business Centre. In the meantime, after the deceased fled from the scene, accused one picked himself up and walked home. He was arrested by police. He received treatment for the stab wound. Accused one maintained that he was targeted by deceased because he was present when deceased and Charlie fought. On this day he had not fought with deceased nor had he pursued him when the deceased fled from the scene. He therefore denied all allegations levelled against him by the State. Accused two, for his part, maintained that he came to his cousin brother’s aid as he was under attack. He claimed defence of a third-party from an unlawful attack. He never intended to kill the deceased. The state case was built around the evidence of Blessing Ziyomo. He was the main state witness. In assessing the credibility of this witness and the probative value of his evidence in court, the court is aware that in any assault case, the complainant as well as the accused, both have an interest to serve, which is to be cast and therefore be seen in better light than that portrayed in the allegations. The court appreciates that there is a real likelihood of this witness Blessing under-playing his role and exaggerating that of the accused is quite real. His evidence is as follows. HH 41-16 CRB 197/15 As he, the deceased and Moses Chivhunga were leaving the business centre for home, he saw the accused two at a bar at the Business Centre. As they passed the two, accused one called the deceased to where they were. The deceased approached them. He and Moses kept going. They did not pick the discussion that took place between the two accused and the deceased. The deceased later joined them and they continued with their journey home. At some point they realised that the two accused had followed them, caught up with them and overtook them after the police base. Accused two went in front of them whilst accused one made the rear end. They were sandwiched between the two as they made their way home. The two accused began to accuse the deceased of failing to take heed of the standing prohibition against him which prevented him from visiting the Business Centre. In response the deceased indicated that he did not recognise such an unlawful order which had the effect of limiting his freedom of movement. Both accused one and two threatened to accompany the deceased to his residence. Again the deceased rejected the offer to be accompanied home against his will. As the argument raged, the deceased was accused by the belligerents of being hard headed. The two began to assault the deceased. Accused two delivered the first blow on deceased using an empty beer bottle which had been in his possession all along. When Blessing questioned the reason for the travel ban they had unlawfully imposed on the deceased, he was struck with an empty beer bottle by accused one. Blessing fell to the ground. Accused one continued with his assault by kicking the now fallen Blessing. At some point during the scuffle, Blessing managed to grab accused one’s leg and pulled him down. Accused one fell down and they both rolled on the ground as each attempted to get up whilst keeping the protagonist on the ground. They rolled and scuffled on the ground. Blessing then managed at some point to get up. He straightaway went to help the deceased who was fighting accused two. With the help rendered by Blessing, the two managed to break free and made good their escape. Blessing, in his evidence, described an instance during which he saw Moses hold accused two’s hand by which he wielded a broken bottle with shards. He was unable to say whether or not it was used to attack the deceased. Their assailants were hot on their heels as they ran. They decided to take different direction as a tactic to evade the marauding assailants. The deceased took off on a route away from the major road. As he ran Blessing, told the court that accused one caught up with him again. He struck him with a bottle for the second time. He staggered but kept on running till he made good his escape. He hid away HH 41-16 CRB 197/15 from his pursuers in the fields far off the view from the road. As he hid, he heard Moses calling upon them to join him. He came out of hiding and joined Moses but they could not, despite diligent search, find the deceased. It was getting dark. They abandoned the search for the deceased and alerted his family on the events which they had experienced leading to the deceased’s disappearance. The next day, a search team was mounted. The deceased was eventually found. He was however, unconscious and unable to speak. His whole body was badly swollen. He had wounds all over. He was ferried to hospital. Some four days after the attack Blessing was able to speak with deceased from his Rusitu Hospital bed. According to Blessing, deceased described to him how both accused had assaulted him with large stones and a knife. He was present when police recovered a log and a knife. Both items were blood stained. He disputed that accused two suggested that they go to the police base over the mobile phone and cash issue. He denied that either of their assailants had shouted that he had been stabbed. Under cross-examination Blessing could not discount t