Zimbabwe – A Honde Valley polygamist who accidentally killed his son with a wooden axe handle during a scuffle over conjugal rights has been spared jail.
Elaya Nyamahondo (44) from Chavhanga Village is now a free man after getting a wholly-suspended three-year sentence.
According to Manica Post, the sentence follows Nyamahodo’s conviction on his own guilty plea to the culpable homicide charge he was facing when he appeared before Mutare High Court judge, Justice Isaac Muzenda.
It is in State’s case that on October 30, 2019, Nyamahodo was in his second wife’s kitchen hut when the deceased’s mother, Mary Chiripawako, approached him.
She had her one-year-old son strapped on her back. Chiripawako demanded that Nyamahodo come to her bedroom and was aggrieved by his refusal. She threatened to join him and his second wife in the latter’s bed for the night.
This however, annoyed Nyamahodo.
He picked up a wooden axe handle and attacked Chiripawako with it.
However, he missed her and instead struck the baby’s head, injuring him in the process.
Testifying in court, Chiripawako said when she advised Nyamahodo that he had struck the child, he ignored her. She later advised Nyamahodo’s uncle.
The child was rushed to the local clinic and was transferred to Hauna District Hospital.
Unfortunately, he succumbed to the injuries.
A post-mortem examination concluded that the death was a result of severe head trauma.
Initially, the father of 18 was slapped with a three-year jail sentence which was wholly suspended for five years on condition of good behaviour.
In passing his sentence, Justice Muzenda said Nyamahodo had not wasted the court’s time by denying the offense. Justice Muzenda said as a polygamist with many children to take care of, Nyamahodo deserved a suspended sentence.
