Maid Jailed For Lacing Employer’s Food With Rat Poison

The 18-year-old maid who made headlines last week after admitting to trying to poison her employer and pleading guilty to attempted murder was given a sentence that effectively constituted three years in prison.

When Nyaradzo Gosha came before regional magistrate Letwin Rwodzi, she admitted to poisoning Konai Muzhangiri’s food with rat poison and was given a four-year sentence.

She was given a one-year suspension with the condition that she not commit a related crime for the next five years.

Gosha was a minor when the offence was committed, but according to Magistrate Rwodzi, she was treated as an adult when she appeared in court.

“She endangered the complainant’s family yet she had an option to leave. The offence was well planned and her moral blameworthiness was high.

“The court will give a short and sharp sentence that will deter the accused from committing such an offence,” magistrate Rwodzi said.

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The court heard that on April 28, Gosha approached their neighbour, Thandiwe Mandibaya, at Glen Norah Police Camp and told her that she was not in good books with Muzhangiri.

She said Muzhangiri had delayed paying her wages and also claimed that she was being denied food.

Mandibaya advised Gosha to poison Muzhangiri.

Gosha laced various foodstuffs, which included juice, yeast, oats, spices and fenugreek seeds with rat poison in an attempt to kill her employer and her five-year-old child.

When Muzhangiri returned home, she took the juice and smelt the rat poison.

She suspected that Gosha had laced the juice and took it to the police.

Upon interrogation, Gosha confessed to the offence and indicated that she had been advised by Mandibaya.

A food scientist conducted tests and confirmed that the food had been laced with rat poison.

Asked what she was going to do if Muzhangiri and her son died, Gosha said she didn’t intend to kill them.