Landlord hammered while collecting rent

MBABANE – A man pleaded guilty to assaulting his landlord twice on the forehead after he came to collect rent at 4am.

Stephen Dlamini (36) rents a room from Zweli Hlatshwako in Mahwalala where he pays rent fortnightly as per their agreement. Dlamini explained the circumstances preceding the assault to Magistrate Siphosini Dlamini who was presiding over his case yesterday.

He said when Hlathswako came to collect rent in the early hours of the morning, he assumed it was someone trying to break into his flat.

"I was sleeping when I heard someone banging my door at 4am. Besides the banging, the person was trying to open the door and enter forcefully.

"When I woke up, I immediately thought that someone was trying to rob my flat so I instinctively grabbed the nearest weapon, which was the hammer and I opened the door.

"I’m not sure where I struck the would-be assailant but he fell down," Stephen said.

He said they continued to fight outside when the allegedly drunk Hlatshwako went to the house to fetch a battle axe (sizeze) which he subsequently assaulted him with.

Stephen said after he realised that he may die in the hands of his landlord, he felt that this justified him hitting his landlord again with the hammer in the same spot on his forehead.

He said the bone of contention was that he was overdue on his rent by a day.

Stephen also said he took offence at the aggressive way in which his landlord demanded the rent.

"It was not my intention to hurt him but I also believe that if he was a proper landlord he would have approached me in a better way and not at that time of the night," he said.

Magistrate Dlamini said the offence was very serious because it was aggravated assault which bordered on attempted murder.

The magistrate sentenced the tenant to two years imprisonment with an option of a E2 000 fine.

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