Hubby assaults wife over plastic bag

A 47-YEAR-OLD Harare man has been ordered to pay a $50 fine or face 30 days’ imprisonment after he assaulted his wife in a dispute over a plastic bag in which he wanted to pack mangoes for his girlfriend.

Magistrate Kudzai Zihove had also sentenced Stanford Masaila to two months’ imprisonment which was wholly suspended on condition he does not commit a similar crime in the next five years.

Masaila had pleaded guilty to the charge.

In passing sentence, Zihove said she had considered that Masaila was a first-time offender who pleaded guilty and, therefore, did not waste the court’s time. “A non-custodial sentence is suitable for first-time offenders,” Zihove said.

“However, I am worried about the nature of the offence — the fists and the pulling of the hair.”

The court heard that on Tuesday, Masaila took a plastic bag from the couple’s cupboard with the intention of packing mangoes. This did not go down well with his wife Beulah, who insisted he was wasting their plastic bags packing mangoes for his girlfriend.

A dispute ensued when Beulah told Masaila to return the bag and also ordered him to stop giving his girlfriend mangoes.

The court heard that Masaila became angry and assaulted Beulah with fists and also pulled her hair.

Alois Matambarira appeared for the State.