Man strikes friend with brick over R5

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A 20-YEAR-OLD man from Mpopoma suburb in Bulawayo was on Friday sentenced to six months in prison after he struck his friend with a brick on the head over a R5 dispute.

A 20-YEAR-OLD man from Mpopoma suburb in Bulawayo was on Friday sentenced to six months in prison after he struck his friend with a brick on the head over a R5 dispute.

PRESTIGE GAMA OWN CORRESPONDENT

Admire Jawi was brought before Western Commonage provincial magistrate Willard Mafios Moyo, where he was charged for contravening Section 89 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act.

He pleaded guilty to the charge and was sentenced to six months in prison, with two suspended on condition that he is not found guilty of a similar crime in the next three years.

The remaining four months were suspended on condition that he performs 140 hours of community service at Mpumelelo Primary School. Jawi said it was just a misunderstanding and he never intended to commit the crime.

“We are friends,” he said.

“I wouldn’t have struck him purposely with a brick. I thought we were just intimidating each other.”

Agreed facts are that the two were walking home in the company of a friend from a bar at around 8pm, when Cedric Katsaruware dropped his R5 coin on the ground.

Jawi picked it up immediately and claimed it was his since he saw it first.

Katsaruware pushed Jawi and demanded that he returns the coin to him, but he refused threatening to assault him if he persisted.

Seeing the intensity of the quarrel, the unnamed friend chased them from his house, saying he did not tolerate such childishness.

Katsaruware made his way out of the house, but Jawi threw a brick at him, which landed on his head and he bled profusely.

Jawi panicked and ran away. A report was made to the police, leading to his arrest.