Staff Reporter

A Kwekwe mentally ill man who fatally attacked a passerby with a brick in 2023 near Spar Supermarket has been acquitted of murder after the High Court ruled he was mentally unfit at the time of committing the crime.

Rodwell Hove was cleared of the charge by High Court Judge Bongani Ndlovu during a circuit court sitting at the Gweru Magistrates Court recently.

According to the State, the incident occurred on 26 July 2023, at around 0710hours near Spar Supermarket, Kwekwe. The deceased, Tatenda Maboreke, met his neighbor, Lorraine Mararahanda, and the two were walking towards Rippers Shop when they passed by Spar Supermarket.

It was at this moment that they encountered Hove. After initially walking past them, Hove suddenly made a U-turn, ran towards the victim, and struck him on the back of the head with a quarter concrete brick. The force of the blow caused the victim to fall forward, hitting the ground face-first. He immediately began bleeding from the ears, mouth, and nose.

Mararahanda screamed for help, prompting employees from Spar Supermarket to rush to the scene and administer first aid. An unidentified well-wisher then transported the unconscious victim to Kwekwe General Hospital, where he was admitted.

Meanwhile, members of the public pursued and apprehended Hove before handing him over to the police.

Despite receiving medical attention, the victim succumbed to his injuries later that evening around 1700hours.

A post-mortem conducted at United Bulawayo Hospitals by Dr. S. Pesanai confirmed that the cause of death was intracranial hemorrhage resulting from a depressed skull fracture.

Following psychiatric evaluation, the court ruled that Hove was legally insane at the time of the attack, leading to his acquittal on murder charges.