A CHITUNGWIZA man, Pritchard Zimondi, who two-years ago, brutally murdered his girlfriend Monalisa Chinomona, after she refused to bed him following a sour relationship, was yesterday slapped with an 18-year effective jail term for murder.
SENIOR COURT REPORTER
High Court judge Justice Hlekani Mwayera said Zimondi (24), who was 21-years at the time that he committed the offence, had been saved by his age from being slapped with life imprisonment.
The judge said she also considered that immaturity played a part on Zimondi and that he also exhibited the same immaturity during the whole trial as “he appeared not to appreciate the gravity of the offence that he was facing”.
Justice Mwayera said she agreed with the State and the defence submissions that extenuating circumstances existed in the matter and as such sentencing Zimondi to a term of life imprisonment would not meet the justice of the case. However, the court said in aggravation, the murder was very callous, cruel, ruthless and brutal considering the nature of the weapon Zimondi used, which was a 30 centimetre long kitchen knife that was directed to the chest gave his girlfriend no chance of survival.
“Courts should be seen to uphold the sanctity of life, society look up to the courts for protection from dangerous criminals.
No portion of the sentence is to be suspended as this would appear as rewarding the offender,” Justice Mwayera said.
Chinomona was, on April 24 last year, stabbed 15 times by Pritchard, who later left her lifeless body in a pool of blood with a knife stuck in her chest as he disappeared from the scene.
- Chamisa under fire over US$120K donation
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Pension funds bet on Cabora Bassa oilfields
- Councils defy govt fire tender directive
Keep Reading
The incident occurred at the late Chinomona’s family home in Unit K, Seke in Chitungwiza.
Zimondi was arrested by police following a tip off by his friend Simbarashe Piano after he had approached him looking for cash to go out of Harare.
