Faith Gudo (52),who is the owner of Wildbeast Farm, Chivhu
had denied murdering David Dube when his trial opened before High Court judge
Justice Esther Muremba. But after a fully contested trial, Justice Muremba and
her assessors convicted Gudo of murder.
The Herald reports that in sentencing Gudo the judge
determined that the murder was not committed under aggravating circumstances,
making the presumptive penalty of 15 years applicable. The court also
considered that Gudo helped the deceased after realising his wrongdoing, covered
funeral expenses, and paid half the compensation demanded by the deceased’s
family.
“A reduced sentence might send the wrong message to
society, suggesting that providing assistance and compensation to the
deceased’s family could result in a very lenient punishment,” she said. “It is
crucial for society to maintain respect for human life and the decency to
resolve conflicts without resorting to violence. Accordingly, the accused is
sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment.”
Evidence showed that after the initial altercation, Gudo
intended to report the incident to the chairman, indicating a lack of
premeditation, but Dube followed Gudo, leading to the unplanned use of a stone.
Generally, premeditated murders are considered more heinous than spontaneous
killings.
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