Dynamos star player Murape Murape, who was being charged with robbery, was yesterday convicted of assault and fined $50.
In her judgment provincial magistrate Olivia Mariga said Murape had been found guilty of assault as the State had failed to prove the robbery case.
“Accused (Murape) was found guilty of assault. The accused is to pay $50 or 15 days in prison,” said Mariga.
Added Mariga: “Accused person was arraigned before this honourable court facing a charge of robbery to which he pleaded not guilty.
“From the evidence filed on record, the essential elements of robbery were not met.
“Accused person admitted to have taken the money by grabbing it and going away.
“That amounted to assault in the circumstances. Accused person’s gesture of grabbing the money and inducing fear in the complainant amounted to assault,” said Mariga.
“In the circumstances it remained accused’s word against the complainant because the court took the second State witness’s evidence with caution.
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“The State, in this case, failed to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt and given such a scenario accused is given the benefit of doubt.” Murape was initially charged with robbing a shopkeeper of $100.
He denied the charge. It was the State’s case that on December 22, Murape, in the company of his brother, went to Fake Dealer Wholesalers in Zengeza 2, Chitungwiza, to buy a crate of one-litre soft drinks for which he paid $12.
Murape is said to have returned complaining the drinks were not cold. The shopkeeper told them cold drinks were being sold at a higher price of $14 and they were asked to add another $2.
That did not go down well with Murape, who then grabbed $100 from the complainant, Fransisca Madondo, and went away.
