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Timoth Makohliso  Midlands Reporter
Three brothers from Shurugwi were yesterday each sentenced to five years in prison for stabbing a fellow passenger who had stepped on their groceries.
Brothers Knowledge Maturure, 21, William Maturure, 26 , and their 16-year-old sibling who cannot be named, were travelling to their rural home for Christmas on board a Dawnliner bus when they attacked Isaac Mudzonga.

Knowledge, William and the teenager, all  from Arcadia Village under Chief Nhema  in Shurugwi, were convicted of attempted  murder by Gweru regional magistrate Morgan Nemadire.

He sentenced them to five years each in prison.

The trio will, however, each serve an effective two years in prison after two years of the sentence were suspended for five years on condition of good behaviour.

Another year was suspended on condition they restitute Mudzonga his medical expenses.

For the state, Ndamukanei Chikuni told   the court that on December 12 last year, at  around 6PM at Tongongara Business Centre, Mudzonga and the three brothers were on board a Dawnliner bus on their way to their rural home for Christmas.

They were coming from Gweru.

The court heard that while they were about to leave Tongogara, the three brothers accused Mudzonga of stepping on their groceries and a misunderstanding ensued.

Chikuni said Mudzonga apologised to the three who did not accept the apology.

She said Knowledge struck Mudzonga with a fist on the eye.

As the complainant tried to fight back,   the 16-year-old intervened and produced   a knife and stabbed the complainant once in the stomach.

When the bus driver realised that there was mayhem in the bus, he made a U-turn and drove to Tongogara Police Station.

The court heard that William who had been a bystander in the fight, immediately got interested when the bus stopped at the police station as he rushed to grab the knife from his younger brother and concealed it.

The police with the help of other passengers arrested Knowledge and his younger brother while William stormed out of the bus.

He was, however, caught and arrested by the police with the help of members of the public.