The Sunday News
Sululwenkosi Dube-Matutu, Plumtree Correspondent
A NOTORIOUS Plumtree tout with a string of previous criminal cases has been slapped with a wholly suspended three months jail sentence for breaking a window pane at Plumtree Police Station in protest over arrest.
David Rwatiringa (34) pleaded not guilty to a malicious damage charge when he appeared before Plumtree magistrate, Mr Gideon Ruvetsa last week. He was, however, convicted due to overwhelming evidence.
Mr Ruvetsa sentenced Rwatiringa to a wholly suspended three-month jail sentence on condition he does not within the next five years commit a similar offence. A Plumtree-based police officer Constable Last Chabuya told the court that Rwatiringa smashed the window pane after he was arrested for public fighting.
“I was working from the charge office and Rwatiringa and Mr Oscar Chinanai were brought in for public fighting. They were advised to pay a fine each and Mr Chinanai paid but Rwatiringa refused. I was then instructed to arrest him and when I tried to handcuff him he became violent. He head butted a window pane at the charge office and it broke into pieces,” he said.
Prosecuting, Mr Elisha Mazorodze said Rwatiringa broke the window on 23 June at about 7pm. He said Rwatiringa was arrested while at the Plumtree Border Post for engaging in a public fight with Chinanai.
Mr Mazorodze said both men were arrested and taken to the Plumtree Police Station charge office to pay fines. He said Rwatiringa later head butted a window pane in protest to arrest. The value of the damaged window pane is $15.
In his defence Rwatiringa told the court that he did not break the window pane deliberately but was pushed against it.
He said he was not given an opportunity to pay a fine but was handcuffed and ordered to sit on the floor at the charge office.
“A CIO operative approached me and ordered me to stand. He started assaulting me until I bled. He then pushed me and my head smashed against a window. I reported to the police but they ordered me to pay $15 for the broken window pane,” he said.
Previously Rwatiringa was found guilty and sentended to six months in jail at the Plumtree Prison for insulting a female Kurai Bus passenger who had protested to being fondled by his friend.
A bus company, Jay Jay Travel and Tours recently dragged Rwatiringa to court for harassing their passengers at the Plumtree Border Post.
The bus company which was being represented by manager, Kennard Nziramasanga was granted a court interdict banning Rwatiringa from going near the buses.
In May 2011 he was sentenced to nine months imprisonment for insulting a woman by telling her that she was a prostitute.
Last year in July he was sentenced to perform 210 hours of community service at Plumtree magistrate’s court for having sexual intercourse with a Grade 7 pupil. In November 2011 he was sentenced to two years imprisonment for assault.
