A wheelchair-bound Chipinge man was recently sentenced to 25 years in prison after he fatally stabbed a police officer while resisting arrest.
Mutare High Court judge, Justice Isaac Muzenda found Lloyd Mahovana Mabiti (33) guilty of murder with actual intent.
Prosecutor Jane-Rose Matsikidze told the court that the incident occurred on June 13, 2019, at around 9 pm, when Mabiti was drinking illicit beer with his friends, Panganai Dzvairo, Chionei Chinyama and Eric Murire. She said:
While drinking the illicit brew, Constable Nobody Kadeya (37), who was clad in police uniform approached the four and advised them that they were under arrest.
Cst Kadeya advised them that they should proceed to the police station and this did not go well with Mahovhana who refused to comply with the lawful instructions. He refused to be pushed in his wheelchair by the now deceased police officer.
The police officer had no option, but to forcibly push the accused in his wheelchair to his vehicle which was parked near the bottle.
When they arrived at Cst Kadeya’s vehicle and when he tried to open the door, an angry Mahovhana took advantage of his lapse in concentration to produce a knife from his pocket and stabbed him thrice on the chest, shoulder and mouth, killing him on the spot.