Guard cuffs, beats wife in food row

By Amanda Chikari

A 33-YEAR-OLD Gweru security guard who handcuffed and assaulted his wife after she confiscated his cell phone for not leaving money for food at home has been sentenced to three months in prison.

Tapiwa Elias appeared before Midlands Provincial Magistrate Mrs Phathekile Msipa facing domestic violence charges.

He was convicted on his own plea of guilty and was jailed for three months.

In mitigation, Elias pleaded with the court to be lenient with him.

“My two children are still young and I don’t want to leave them while I go to jail, instead I want my family to remain intact as it is. I appeal to the court and my wife to forgive me,” he pleaded.

In passing the sentence, Mrs Msipa said she had considered that this was not the first time that Elias has been before the courts.

“It is not your first time appearing in court. You once appeared facing the same charge when you first assaulted your wife. It has now become your tendency to assault women hence you deserve a prison term,” she said.

Prosecuting, Mr Andrew Marimo said on July 5 at around 9AM Elias was on duty at Lakeside Shop in Gweru when his wife approached him asking for money to buy food.

He said Elias told her that he did not have any money and she snatched his cell phone and went back to their lodgings.

After work, the court heard that Elias went home and demanded his cell phone back from his wife.

“The complainant refused with it demanding money to buy food. The accused person got angry, handcuffed the complainant, kicked her several times on the face with booted feet and slapped her numerous times on her back,” said Mr Marimo. The Chronicle