A 14-year-old from a plot in Warringham on the outskirts of Bulawayo has been arrested for allegedly gruesomely murdering his neighbour who caught him red-handed stealing food from her kitchen.
The minor whose name has been withheld for ethical reasons gained entry into Eunice Busisiwe Pilime’s kitchen through a window where he was caught stealing food.
A court heard the minor assaulted Pilime with a log, struck her with an iron bar and hit her with a hoe on her head resulting in her bleeding to death.
Further State allegations are that the minor sprinkled her with rat poison and went to his mother to tell her Pilime had been attacked by robbers and was screaming for help.
Bulawayo Magistrate Franklin Mkhwananzi remanded the minor in custody to March 14.
He was not asked to plead to charges of murder and unlawful entry.
State representative Mufaro Mageza told the court that on March 9 Pilime caught the minor red-handed stealing food from her kitchen.
Mageza said the minor disarmed Pilime of a log she was carrying and used it to bash her.
“Pilime caught the minor stealing food and tried to assault him with a log she was carrying but he got out her grip and snatched the log from her which he used to assault her all over the body,” said Mageza.
“The minor took an iron rod and further assaulted Pilime. He then took a hoe and struck her on her head where blood gushed out. Realising she was unconscious, the minor took rat poison from the cupboard and sprinkled it on Pilime’s face.”
Mageza told the court the minor went to his mother and told her Pilime had been attacked by robbers and was screaming for help.
He said investigations carried out revealed the minor had killed Pilime leading to his arrest.
