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George Maponga Masvingo Bureau
A man has been jailed eight months here for assaulting a lawyer who had successfully applied for rescission of a judgment granted in favour of his relative.

Tawanda Munyayi (35) of Mucheke suburb confronted Masvingo lawyer Mr Tichaona Bhunu of Bhunu and Associates and assaulted him as he left court last Friday.

Mr Bhunu had convinced the courts to overturn a default judgment against his client that had been made in favour of Munyayi’s female relative in a civil matter.

Munyayi charged at Mr Bhunu, pulling him by his neck-tie.

He was arrested after the assault.

Masvingo provincial magistrate Mr Langton Ndokera sentenced Munyayi to 10 months in prison when he appeared in court on Monday facing assault charges.

He conditionally suspended two months of the sentence after convicting Munyayi on his own plea of guilty.

Munyayi pleaded for leniency, blaming his behaviour on short temper. Mr Ndokera said Munyayi deserved a custodial sentence as he was a daring offender who had the guts to attack a legal practitioner within court premises.

He said the courts could not show mercy to offenders who attack legal practitioners in the conduct of their duties.

The prosecutor Mr Fidelicy Nyamukondiwa said last Friday around midday, Mr Bhunu was on his way from a court session where he was representing his client, Mr Patrick Mutasa.

Mr Mutasa had been hauled before the courts for breaching a contract to marry Munyayi’s relative and seduction. The relative had previously been granted a default judgment by the Civil Court after Mr Mutasa failed to defend a $4 000 suit for breaching a contract to marry and $3 000 for seduction.

Mr Mutasa then engaged the services of Mr Bhunu.

Mr Bhunu successfully applied for the rescission of the default judgment against Mr Mutasa.