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Nokusa Masuku Court Reporter
The “blood hunter” who allegedly stabbed a 66-year-old woman appeared in court yesterday facing charges of attempted rape, attempted murder and aggravated indecent assault. Edson Phiri, 31, allegedly sneaked into the woman’s shack at Ngozi Mine Squatter Camp, holding a torch and attempted to rape her.

When Phiri failed to rape the woman, the court heard, he took a knife and cut her on the throat before stabbing the old lady on the chest, abdomen and chest.

The woman is battling for life at Mpilo Central Hospital.

Phiri was not asked to plead when he appeared before provincial magistrate Willard Maphios Moyo.

He was remanded in custody to May 11.

Prosecuting, Mufaro Mageza told the court that on Friday at around 3AM, the woman was asleep in her shack when Phiri pounced.

“He directed the torch light to where the woman was sleeping and immediately switched off his torch when he realised that the woman had woken up. He then attacked the woman, grabbed her by the throat and pressed her onto the bed by his knees,” said Mageza.

He said Phiri forced himself in between the woman’s legs and tried to rape her.

However, the woman overpowered him and lay on her stomach in order to resist Phiri.

The court heard that after Phiri failed to rape the woman, he produced a knife and cut her on the throat.

Phiri allegedly went on to stab the woman once on the left side of the chest, once on the abdomen and once on the left shoulder.

The woman’s grandchild, who was also in the shack, escaped and notified their neighbour, the court heard.

Mageza said the neighbour came with a torch and saw Phiri on top of the woman holding a knife.

“Before the neighbour could catch him, Phiri escaped from the scene leaving his blood stained jacket and his torch at a nearby bushy area. They were recovered by a member of the neighbourhood watch committee,” said Mageza.

He said the injured woman was immediately ferried to Mpilo Central Hospital where she is still admitted.

The court heard that Phiri once broke into a 36-year-old woman’s shack at Ngozi Mine dump site on January 18, this year, at around 1AM.

Phiri allegedly got inside the woman’s blankets and grabbed her by the neck threatening to kill her if she screamed.

He inserted his fingers in her private parts and soon after he fell asleep in the blankets, the court heard.

The woman screamed for help leading to Phiri’s arrest.

Police are investigating the case.