A resident of Mt Darwin who was enlisted to rob a tobacco farmer of his US$9,000 earnings but instead fatally stabbed the farmer, has been sentenced to 35 years behind bars.
Japhet Chimunhondo was approached by a fellow villager, Nomore Mavhura, who sought assistance in robbing Mr. Clifford Kadowa of his recently acquired cash.
Mavhura, aware of Mr. Kadowa’s substantial earnings from the sale of his tobacco crop, intended to borrow US$500 but was declined by Mr. Kadowa. Displeased by the refusal, Mavhura devised a plan to rob him and enlisted Chimunhondo’s help.
Armed with a knife purchased earlier, the two intruded into Mr. Kadowa’s homestead at night. A struggle ensued when Mr. Kadowa resisted, resulting in Japhet Chimunhondo stabbing him twice, causing fatal injuries. Despite fleeing the scene empty-handed, Chimunhondo left behind evidence that led to his arrest and subsequent murder charge.
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While Chimunhondo denied the murder charge, Justice Lucy-Anne Mungwari found him guilty of aggravated murder and sentenced him to 35 years in prison. Despite the minimum presumptive penalty being 20 years, the severity of the crime, coupled with Chimunhondo’s lack of remorse and potential risk of reoffending, warranted a harsher sentence.
In her ruling, Justice Mungwari emphasized the brutality and senselessness of the murder, driven by greed. She differentiated Chimunhondo’s sentence from that of his accomplice, Mavhura, who had displayed remorse and cooperated with authorities. Mavhura is currently serving a 30-year sentence.