Henry Kudakwashe Phiri, a 22-year-old man from Beitbridge, Matabeleland South Province, has been brought before the Beitbridge Magistrates’ Court on charges of attempted murder.
The allegations are that on May 28, 2024, at around 4 PM, the 4-year-old complainant was playing with Phiri’s niece at his residence.
It is claimed that Phiri harboured a long-standing hatred for the complainant due to a history of bad blood between their families, and did not appreciate the child’s frequent visits to their home.
According to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), Phiri’s animosity towards the minor led him to hatch a plan.
He allegedly gave the 4-year-old girl a poisonous pill and a bottle of water, instructing her to swallow it.
After doing so, the young girl began vomiting and informed her mother, who immediately took her to Beitbridge Hospital.
Subsequent tests confirmed the presence of organophosphate poisoning in the pill.
Phiri was arrested and subsequently convicted by the Beitbridge Magistrates’ Court on the charge of attempted murder.
He was sentenced to 6 years in prison, with 1 year of the sentence suspended for 5 years.
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