Man bashes drinking-mate over cigarette, comes to court drunk

By Kelvin Kasiwulaya
A Shurugwi man who bashed his drinking mate over a Madison cigarette recently brought the court to a standstill after he appeared before the Magistrate half- intoxicated.
Shepherd Bayana (32) of 145 Makusha high density suburb appeared before Shurugwi resident Magistrate Mr Sangster Tavengwa as a defendant to an assault case against Lloyd Gamba (19).
It was in the state’s case as presented by Nyengeterai Nechirava that, on the 12th day of July 2017 at around 00:50 hrs, Lloyd Gamba was leading home from Mzansi night club, Shurugwi town, on his way home Gamba was approached by Bayana who alleged that the plaintiff refused to give him a cigarette, the defendant then slapped the plaintiff with an open hand on the left cheek.
The defendant was instantly apprehended by a member of the police who saw him slapping the plaintiff.
All intoxication was exuded in court when the defendant was asked respond to the charge which had been read to him, upon opening his mouth the whole court was harangued by the beer stench from his mouth, this prompted the Magistrate through the interpreter to ask if the defendant had drank any beer, the defendant confessed that he had a few pints to drink before coming to court.
Magistrate Sangster Tavengwa admonished the defendant from such rascal behaviour.
Sentencing Magistrate Tavengwa slapped Bayana with a 30 day prison sentence and a three months prison sentence from a previous Domestic Violence (DV) case was added to the sentence.
Bayana was in dock for contravening Section 89 (1) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act Chapter 9:23.