THE trial of a 27-year-old Rusape domestic worker who axed his two employers in cold blood has kicked off at the Mutare High Court with the suspect pleading for leniency saying he was drunk when he committed the offence.

Elvas Mukono told the court that he was enraged after his bosses failed to pay him for a job he had completed and butchered them on May 24, 2019 according reports.

It is alleged that the deceased, Elson Mberi (74) and his wife, Faina (72), employed Mukono on May 21 as a domestic worker. During the course of his employment, Mukono learnt that Faina Mberi had some foreign currency in her possession. He hatched a plan to rob her.

Before retiring to bed on May 23, Mukono took an axe and kept it in his bedroom. Around 4am the following day, Mukono armed himself with the axe and proceeded to the kitchen where Elson was. He struck him once on the head and left him for dead. He stole Elson’s Nokia phone and torch before heading to the couple’s bedroom where Faina was .

Mukono used the axe to kill Faina, threw the axe on the bed and ransacked the bedroom till he found the money. He also took Faina’s cellphone, gathered his clothes and fled.

It is alleged that Faina’s body was discovered by another employee that same morning. Elson was still alive but later died at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals on June 1.

Investigations were conducted, thereby leading to Mukono’s arrest.

Post-mortem results showed that the cause of death was severe head injuries.