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Emily Mbewe Court Reporter
A FORT RIXON man, 42, was arrested for assaulting his daughter’s boyfriend with an iron bar all over his body after he secretly came for a sleepover at his homestead. Nokuthula Ncube appeared before Bulawayo Magistrate Tawanda Muchemwa facing an assault charge.

He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to a wholly suspended seven months jail term on condition that he completes 175 hours of community service for assaulting Authority Ncube, 25.

Ncube had begged the court to give him a non-custodial sentence stating that community service was a better way of punishing him.

“Your worship l plead with the court to give me a non-custodial sentence because l’ve three children and l’ve to take care of them as I’m the sole bread winner,” said Ncube.

Magistrate Muchemwa advised Ncube to stop assaulting people as such behaviour could see him being sent to jail with no option of a fine.

“You’re therefore sentenced to seven months imprisonment of which two months of the sentence are suspended on condition that you don’t commit a similar offence within a period of five years. Five months of the sentence are wholly suspended on condition you complete 175 hours at Zenzeni primary school,” said Muchemwa.

The State alleges that on November, 19, 2014 Authority of Nketa Suburb in Bulawayo boarded a bus heading to Pioneer Mine in Fort Rixon. He had an agreement with his girlfriend that she was going to accommodate him in her bedroom.

The father discovered their plans when he went through his daughter’s messages on her phone. The court heard that Authority arrived at the mine at around 11PM. Prosecuting, Caroline Matanga told the court that when Authority arrived at Ncube’s homestead, he went into his girlfriend’s bedroom hut.

“Upon entry Authority found out that his girlfriend wasn’t in the room but her siblings were sleeping,” said Matanga.

While he was still standing inside the room, Ncube came in and started assaulting him using an iron bar.

“Authority was beaten several times all over the body and sustained bruises on his forehead and left arm,” said Matanga.

The matter was reported to the police, leading to Ncube’s arrest.