Court Suicide Details Exposed: Deceased Threatens To Haunt Cops

Published: 2016 September 07 06:36:07 (6197 Views)

The Beatrice man who committed suicide on Monday by downing poison in court had told relatives and friends that he would kill himself in court in the event he was convicted for an offence he had not committed and that they should let cops and the complainant bury him so that they invoke ngozi.

In Shona culture, ngozi is a spirit of the dead which 'rises' to haunt killers of the deceased.

He succumbed to the poison the same day. Relatives and friends including Cuthbert Shoko's wife, Swema Shoko did not take him seriously.Shoko sent text messages to some of his relatives alerting them that he was going to take his life in court if convicted for allegedly stealing a Samsung Galaxy tablet.

He even went to his local bar where he bade farewell to fellow revellers who dismissed his statement as a joke.

On Monday mid-morning, his fears were confirmed and Shoko was convicted of stealing a mobile phone — a Samsung Galaxy tablet — belonging to Yeukai Mutevhani.

Soon after downing a pesticide (name withheld) and while on his way to hospital, Shoko sent a text message to his wife asking her to look after their five children.

"Usare uchichengeta vana Mai Kuda. Ndatungamira tosangana kudenga," read the message.

To his other relatives, he sent a message on Sunday night which read: "Ndino zviuraya musi weMonday kana ndikapihwa mhosva yandisina kupara. Musanditore kunondiviga. Regai ndivigwe nevasungwa. Ndichapedzerana nehama dzaChester naYeukai avo vandipomera mhosva. Ndazviuraya nekurwadziwa. Tsiye nyoro dzinotsitsirira hama dzangu. Sarai murugare."

Shoko gulped poison before pelting the magistrate with the empty bottle soon after the court pronounced him guilty of stealing a mobile phone. Shoko, who was attending court from home, shocked the gallery and court officials when he suddenly took out the bottle from his pocket. He opened it and gulped the contents and struck magistrate Mr Francis Mapfumo in the face as court orderlies wrestled with him.

He was rushed to Chitungwiza Central Hospital where he died at 10pm. He will be buried on Friday. His family firmly believed that their relative was wrongly accused and later convicted.

Following the incident, chief magistrate Mishrod Guvamombe said, they were now going to tighten security at the courts countrywide to ensure that those entering the court buildings are thoroughly searched.

- Herald

Tags: court, suicidehaunt, police, ,

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