Faith Ndou
MASVINGO-Businessman, Calvin Munorwei who was on trial for the murder of his girlfriend Laura Tendai Sainet has been acquitted by the High Court after a full trial.
The High Court presided over by Judge Christopher Dube Banda, acquitted Munorwei of murder charges following the death of his girlfriend, Laura Tendai Sainet (23), citing insufficient evidence to prove him guilt beyond reasonable doubt.
The court heard that on 13 December 2024, l Munorwei travelled to Harare and on his return, made several attempts to contact the now-deceased but his calls went unanswered.
At the time, Laura was reportedly in the company of a male friend, who also did not respond to the accused’s calls.
Evidence presented showed that Laura had expressed fear of the accused and requested her friend to escort her home.
Upon arriving at her residence at Clipsham Flats where Munorwei was reportedly paying rent for her, he found her with the same male companion.
A misunderstanding ensued after the accused questioned why she was not answering his calls.
During the dispute, Munorwei informed Laura that he intended to end the relationship.
The court heard that Laura later got into the bakkie of Munorwei’s car and refused to disembark despite repeated requests.
The accused then drove to Sunrise Mall to seek assistance from one of Laura’s friends in resolving the dispute. However, efforts to persuade her to exit the vehicle or contact her mother were unsuccessful.
Munorwei later drove back towards her residence but she continued to refuse to leave the vehicle. He told the court that at some point during the journey, he stopped to answer a phone call and later realised that Laura was no longer in the loading box.
After failing to locate her, he returned to her residence but she was not there. The following morning, on 14 December 2024 he received news that her body had been discovered along the Masvingo–Beitbridge Road at Clipsham.
Police testimony indicated that the positioning of the body suggested the possibility that the deceased had jumped from a moving vehicle.
Officers reported no signs of struggle or external violence though there was bleeding from the ears and mouth.
Medical evidence presented by the examining doctor revealed that Laura sustained a depressed skull fracture, multiple bone fractures and broken neck. The doctor concluded that the injuries could have resulted from either an assault or a fall on a hard surface. Notably, the injuries were consistent with impact occurring while the body was stationary and there were no facial injuries.
The State, led by Prosecutor Mike Tembo, argued that Munorwei had unlawfully assaulted the deceased, leading to her death. However, defence lawyer Charles Ndlovu maintained that there was no direct evidence linking the accused to the alleged assault.
In his ruling, Justice Banda stated that the court had carefully examined all the evidence but found no proof beyond reasonable doubt that Munorwei caused the death.
“The accused’s conduct, including attempting to have the deceased exit the vehicle and seeking intervention from her friend, does not demonstrate an intention to harm,” the Judge noted.
He further noted inconsistencies in the State’s case and emphasised that the medical and police evidence did not conclusively establish assault.
“The possibility that the deceased may have fallen or jumped from the vehicle cannot be ruled out,” he added.
Justice Banda concluded that the case remained inconclusive describing it as a “50/50 scenario,” and ruled that the benefit of doubt must be given to the accused.
Munorwei was therefore found not guilty and acquitted of all charges.
