Teary mother says son named attacker before he died

WITH her eyes brimming with tears, Ms Sharon Syambizi narrated in court how her son, Ryan Phiri, while in pain named murder accused Elvis Nsokolo as one of the Twin Palm Secondary School pupils that mercilessly beat him with golf sticks.

Ms Syambizi remembered how her son struggled to eat moments before his death as he was bleeding from the mouth.

This is a matter in which Nsokolo and three other juveniles are alleged to have killed 17-year-old Ryan of Kabulonga Boys Secondary School on December 4, 2020. But the four pleaded not guilty to the charge of murder.

Ms Syambizi yesterday narrated that on the material day, she received information that her son was admitted to the University Teaching Hospital (UTH).

She stated that she immediately rushed there and was allowed to see Ryan. But when she called his name after seeing the bad state he was in, he did not respond.

Ms Syambizi said Ryan later regained consciousness and asked for food.

She then asked Ryan if he knew his attackers.

He told me, “Mummy, it was a mob of pupils from Twin Palm Secondary.” When I asked him what they used to beat him, he said that they used golf sticks. He said he only recognised the head boy from Twin Palm by the name of Elvis. He asked if he still had his legs, and I answered yes,” she said.

She said later he was taken for x-ray and upon his return, she gave him food.

Ms Syambizi however said Ryan just drunk a bit of water as he had problems swallowing and had blood on his mouth.

She said he later started tossing from one side of the bed to the other and there were faeces mixed with blood that looked like mincemeat that came out each time he turned.

Ms Syambizi said she was told to go outside and later only saw medical personal trying to resuscitate him.

And few minutes after, she was told Ryan had died.