A Zimbabwean man from Nkayi District clobbered his neighbour with a hoe, stabbed her on the neck and went on to drink the blood that was oozing from the lifeless body.

This was revealed when a 28 year old Christopher Sibanda of Sikhobokhobo Village appeared before a Bulawayo judge, Justice Thompson Mabhikwa during a Hwange High Court circuit which sat on Friday.

Sibanda, however, escaped the death penalty after a special verdict was passed due to his insanity.

Justice Mabhikwa found Sibanda not guilty of murder arguing that he could not be held to account as he was a mental patient.

He commuted him to Mlondolozi Mental Institution.

According to a statement of agreed facts between the State led by Mrs Martha Cheda and defence counsel, Mr Daniel Ncube of Legal Aid Directorate, on 27 June 2018 at around 3pm, Sibanda met Ms Sibusisiwe Sigauke along a footpath in Sikhewu village.

He was carrying a hoe handle, an adze, knife, black satchel and black pot.

The court heard that Ms Sigauke was coming from Kana Business Centre on her way home.

Without warning or provocation, Sibanda struck the deceased several times on the head with a hoe handle before stabbing her on the neck with a knife.

She died on the spot.

A passerby, Leonard Masuku who was using the same path found Sibanda sitting on top of deceased’s body and was sucking blood which was oozing out of the wound on her neck.

He rushed back to Kana Business Centre where he reported the matter to the police.

Upon his arrest police recovered a blood-stained knife and hoe handle which was broken into three pieces as a result of the attack.

Following his arrest Sibanda was taken to court before being referred to Mlondolozi Prison for psychiatric evaluation where he was found to have been mentally unstable at the time of commission of the offence.

The State and defence counsel submitted that the court retain a special verdict to the effect that Sibanda be found not guilty of murder because of insanity as guided by section 29 (2) (a) of the Mental Health Act.