A SOMBRE atmosphere shrouded Court B at the High Court yesterday as two Murehwa men convicted of robbing and killing a fellow villager were sentenced to death by Justice Felistus Chatukuta.
REPORT BY CHARLES LAITON
Stephen Rukwata (30) and Tafadzwa Kamhiripiri (age not given) of Nyazema and Nhende villages in Murehwa respectively were convicted of murder with actual intent for killing Thomas Dheka (52) on October 28, 2010.
They were sentenced to death by hanging after failing to convince the court of any extenuating circumstances that would have spared them from the hangman’s noose. The two’s primary objective had been to rob Dheka of money after they had learnt he had just sold one of his cattle and, therefore, had money on him.
They waylaid the now deceased after a beer drink, stripped him naked and stole his phone after failing to get any cash from him. They later fatally assaulted him.
Rukwata is said to have crashed Dheka’s ribs by jumping onto his chest several times as he lay helplessly on the ground.
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Despite the injuries caused by his accomplice, Kamhiripiri went on to kick and punch Dheka in a bid to kill him after he had indicated he had positively identified them.
Justice Chatukuta warned that perpetrators of murder during robberies would not escape the death penalty.
Before they killed him, the two men had earlier stolen his beer while he was still at a bottle store. Dheka’s body was discovered the following morning lying by the roadside naked.