The ManicaPost
Tendai Gukutikwa
Post Correspondent
A MUTARE court was left in stitches when a 35-year-old man who had been arrested for smoking dagga tried to evade a jail term by claiming to be an orphan.
The father of one — Phillip Chihombori — told the court that as an orphan in huge debts, he deserved leniency.
“Your Worship, l am an orphan and was so stressed up, thereby forcing me to smoke dagga. When it comes to my financial and marital problems, I have no one to confide in as my parents are late.
‘‘The only thing that could console me was dagga, it would make me forget all my problems,” he said.
Chihombori and his friend Gilbert Mukoko were being charged with unlawful possession of dangerous drugs as defined in Section 157 (1) (c) of the Criminal (Codification and Reform) Act, Chapter 9:23.
“Please be lenient with me, my parents are late and if you send me to jail, no one will look after my wife and child. I have rentals to pay. I owe my landlord and friends and use dagga as a stress reliever,” said Chihombori.
The pair appeared before Mutare magistrate, Ms Prisca Tendai Manhibi, who sentenced them to three months imprisonment after convicting them on their own guilty pleas.
However, ten days of their sentence were suspended on condition they pay $500 in fines. The remaining term was suspended on condition of good behaviour.
Chihombori had another case involving possession of 2.9 grams of dagga. He was further ordered to pay $1 500 fine or risk three months imprisonment. He was given six days to pay.
Mr Chris Munyuki prosecuted.
