A Bulawayo magistrate on Friday convicted and fined a 35-year-old United Bulawayo Hospital (UBH) nurse, Jabulani Moyo for assaulting a doctor working at the same health center following a dispute involving a student nurse.
According to Zimeye, Magistrate Nomalanga Ndlovu fined Moyo $50 or 20 days in prison for head-butting Raymond Shandare.
In convicting and sentencing Moyo, the Magistrate ruled that it is not in dispute that the three were involved in a love triangle.
“While it is clear that the two of you fought over the girlfriend and the complainant came second best in the contest, your violent conduct is not acceptable. That you were provoked is not a defense at law,” ruled Ndlovu.
Appearing for the State, Ephraim Manongore told the court that on the 13th of July this year at around 19:30 hours at the referral hospital’s post natal ward car park, the complainant saw his girlfriend Moreblessing Gwanzura‘s Honda fit car registration number AEL 4752 parked in the lot.
The prosecutor told the court that Shandare proceeded to see his girlfriend who is also a student nurse at the hospital.
“Complainant noticed that inside the vehicle there was a male adult who was seated on the driver’s seat. He then requested to see his girlfriend in privacy of which she complied,” Manongore said.
The prosecutor told the court that after seeing the complainant talking with his girlfriend, the accused came out of the vehicle and confronted the complainant.
“He started assaulting him by head-butting him twice on the head and once on the mouth. The complainant fell on the ground and the accused person squeezed him on the ground,” said Manongore.
The complainant did not suffer any visible injuries but suffered severe headache.
A medical report was produced in court as part of the exhibit.
The accused had denied the charges insisting that they had fought over the girlfriend.
He told the court that Gwanzura was his girlfriend as well.
In mitigation, Moyo said he is a single father taking care of a minor child. He told the court that he earns $900. In sentencing Moyo, the magistrate said he had taken into considerations that Moyo also sustained head injuries while butt-heading the doctor. She said she also considered that he was a first offender.
