A member of the Zimbabwe National Army was yesterday fined $10 by Gweru magistrate, Shotgame Musaiona after being convicted of malicious damage to property for running amok in a drunken stupor and smashing window panes at a police station in the city centre.
BY Stephen Chadenga
Persuade Titus Mberi from 2 Field Regiment in Mount Darwin committed the offence last Friday at Gweru Central Police Station.
Mberi (27) pleaded guilty to the charge, saying he smashed the police station windows in self-defence, as he repelled robbers, who were allegedly trailing him. He admitted to being drunk when the incident happened.
Musaiona ordered the soldier to pay $10, in default he would serve 10 days in prison. Mberi was also ordered to pay $6 towards repairing the windows.
Prosecutor, Andrew Marimo told the court that on June 16, Assistant Inspector Muchineripi Nhire was on night duty with four other police details when they heard the noise of a breaking window pane from outside and a few minutes another pane was struck.
When Nhire and his colleagues went outside the charge office to investigate, they found Mberi pelting the window panes using beer bottles.
Upon seeing the police officers, Mberi took to his heels along Fifth Street, with the officers in hot pursuit, leading to his arrest.
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The total value of damaged property is $6.
