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Mejury Magaya/ Mildred Sithole, Midlands Reporters

A 30 –year –old Mberengwa police officer has been sentenced to six years in jail for bedding his colleague’s 13-year-old sister –in-law twice.

Kudakwashe Dzinamurungu appeared before Gweru Regional Magistrate Mrs Phathekile Msipa facing two counts of having sexual intercourse with a young person.

He pleaded not guilty to the charges but was convicted.

He was sentenced to six years in prison but two years were suspended on condition of good behaviour.

Dzinamurungu will serve an effective four years in prison.

In passing sentence, Mrs Msipa said as a police officer, Dzinamurungu was supposed to protect the complainant and not abuse her.

“It was your legal duty to protect the complainant but you abused your authority and turned out to be her abuser. 

“You are a first offender and usually a custodial sentence  is the last resort but you decided to dive to the deep end therefore a non-custodial sentence will trivialise a serious offence,” said the magistrate.

Prosecutor Mr Kelvin Guvheya said the matter came to light when the cop was seen by the girl’s sister with the complainant at night and she revealed that they were in a relationship.

Mr Guvheya said in February last year at around 2PM the complainant whose name has been withheld to protect her identity was walking home alone from school when Dzinamurungu came driving his Toyota Fun cargo vehicle.

The court heard that Dzinamurungu who is known to the complainant as her brother- in- law’s colleague offered her a lift home.

 “Dzinamurungu told the complainant that he wanted to fuel his car at a service station but instead drove past the station to a bushy area where he unlawfully had sexual intercourse with her,” said Mr Guvheya.

The court heard that a month later at around 9PM, Dzinamurungu arrived at his colleague’s house and sneaked into the complainant’s blankets and they had sex.

 After the act, he told the complainant not to tell anyone and threatened to assault her if she revealed their relationship.

The matter only came to light when the complainant was found by her sister in the company of Dzinamurungu late in the evening some days later.

Mr Guvheya said the complainant revealed that she was in a relationship with the police officer.