The Sunday News
Sukulwenkosi Dube Plumtree Correspondent
A 70-YEAR-OLD man had to run for dear life after his 23-year-old son became violent and started assaulting him with bricks over a reprimand.
Bigboy Mkhwebu of Tshankwa area in Bulilima District flew into rage after his father, Nicholas Mkhwebu warned him against stealing a neighbour’s property and also for assaulting family members.
Bigboy then armed himself with bricks which he threw at the old man.
Mkhwebu tried to flee but one of the bricks hit him on his left hand, injuring him.
Bigboy appeared before Plumtree magistrate Mr Livard Philemon facing assault charges.
He told the court that he assaulted his father out of self defence as the complainant was threatening to strike him with an axe.
“It was not my intention to assault my father but he started the altercation. He found me using his tools to weed the garden and he was not happy with that. He approached me with the intention to hit me with an axe because he did not want with his tools.
“I tried to avoid him but he kept advancing and that was when I hit him with a brick. He was very drunk and I realised that he might harm me in a terrible manner if I don’t take action,” said Bigboy.
He said his father had on several occasions threatened him with the axe with the intention of killing him. Bigboy said his father recently summoned all family members to gang up and assault him but he ran away.
Bigboy said his father was constantly coming to his brother’s homestead where he was staying to harass him.
Prosecuting, Mr Clemence Shawarira said Bigboy assaulted his father on 19 January around 6pm.
He said the complainant approached his son and told him to desist from being violent towards relatives. Mkhwebu also told his son that his sisters had fled from the homestead to live in Plumtree Town to escape his violent nature.
Mr Shawarira said Mkhwebu also discouraged his son from stealing a neighbour’s property and using his tools without his permission.
This did not go down well with Bigboy who picked up bricks which were heaped close to a well and threw them at his father.
“Bigboy struck the complainant with a brick on his left hand and he sustained injuries and was taken to Plumtree District Hospital for treatment,” said Mr Shawarira.
He said Mkhwebu reported the assault to the police resulting in his son’s arrest.
Magistrate Livard Philemon sentenced Bigboy to nine months in prison, three of which were suspended for five years on condition that he does not within that period commit an offence of a similar nature.
The remaining six months were further suspended on condition that he performs 210 hours of community service at Tshankwa Primary School.
