The Mutare Magistrates’ Court has sentenced 20-year-old Obriel Chivanda to 210 hours of community service after he was found guilty of culpable homicide in the death of a toddler.
The court established that on May 24, 2024, around 8:30 AM, Chivanda was driving a Nissan Xtrail from his home in Penhalonga when he struck and killed a baby who was crawling on the road.
The magistrate determined Chivanda was negligent, failing to keep a proper lookout and not taking reasonable actions to avoid the collision.
In addition to the community service sentence, Chivanda was banned from driving for two months.
He was also given a 14-month jail term, with 8 months suspended for 5 years and the remaining 6 months suspended on the condition he completes the community service.
Culpable homicide is a legal term that refers to a homicide (the killing of a human being) that is considered blameworthy or negligent, but not necessarily intentional. The key distinctions of culpable homicide are:
- It involves the death of a person, but without the intent to kill that is required for murder.
- The person’s actions that led to the death were negligent, reckless or showed a disregard for human life, making them culpable or blameworthy.
More: Pindula News