An Epworth woman allegedly ripped open her husband’s stomach with a kitchen knife, leaving his intestines protruding as he was rushed to the local clinic in a wheelbarrow by neighbours, the court heard on Monday. It is the State’s case that Lucia Mudende (19) of 420 Belapaise in Epworth arrived home late and when her husband asked her where she had been, she became violent.
Mudende on Monday appeared before magistrate Mr Elijah Makomo facing a charge of attempted murder. Mudende is pleading guilty to the charge, but Mr Makomo said although she was admitting to the charges, for now, the court’s hands were tied as they needed to monitor the condition of the complainant (name not supplied), who is said to be battling for his life.
She was remanded in custody to February 15. Prosecutor Mr Sebastian Mutizirwa told the court that when Mudende arrived home late, her husband questioned where she had been.
Mudende did not give a satisfactory answer and an altercation ensued. She became violent and grabbed a kitchen knife, the court heard, and used it to rip open her husband’s belly when he tried to disarm her.
The complainant, the court heard, rushed out of the house screaming for help, while Mudende followed him outside intending to stab him again. When she saw neighbours rushing to the scene to help the complainant, Mudende ran away.
The neighbours rushed Mudende to a police station in Epworth in a wheelbarrow, with his intestines still protruding. From the police station, he was taken to a local clinic where he was later transferred to Parirenyatwa Hospital where he is in the intensive care unit. Mudende was arrested the same day as she attempted to run away from her homestead.