Suspect goes into a trance in court

THERE was drama at the Plumtree Magistrate’s Courts on Thursday when a suspect went into a trance punctuated by intermittent hiccups which forced the court to briefly stop proceedings.

Wonderful Ncube (23) of Chief Madlambuzi was being tried for unlawful borrowing in contravention of the Criminal Law Codification and Reform Act after he harnessed another villager’s two donkeys on his scotch cart without her consent.

The drama took place when Plumtree magistrate, Mr Joshua Mawere was recording Ncube’s plea when he started speaking in a deep voice punctuated with intermittent hiccups. Mr Mawere was forced to briefly stop recording the plea to ask from him what was happening.

“What’s happening? Are you alright?” asked Mr Mawere.

“It happens to me more often and at times I shiver as well as experiencing the hiccups,” replied Ncube.

“Are you able to continue or you need some time to recover and then we continue later with your plea recording,” further asked the magistrate.

Ncube responded and said he was able to continue and was convicted on his own plea of guilty. He was sentenced to four months in imprisonment which were wholly suspended for five years on condition he does not commit a similar offence.

In mitigation, Ncube said he did not intend to steal the donkeys but just use them and release them.

“I just harnessed them so that I help my donkeys which were finding it difficult to move due to the load in the scotch cart. After using the donkeys I returned them to the grazing area where I had taken them,” said Ncube.

Prosecutor, Ms Jeniphar Maone Shuche told the court that on 5 October last year, the complainant, Mrs Notice Sibanda left her donkeys grazing at Mpugwi grazing area. Ncube then drove them and harnessed them to his scotch cart.

However, he was seen by Mr Remember Ndebele a fellow villager who advised the owner. She went to Ncube’s homestead and asked about her donkeys. He admitted to have harnessed them and released them to the grazing area.

A report was made to the police, leading to his arrest.