By A Correspondent- A security guard at a local hotel has been arrested after he allegedly pummelled a drunk client who urinated in a guard room.

The incident happened last week on Friday.

It is said Payford Masunda spotted Joshua Mapfumo urinating in a guard room.

Masunda who is employed to maintain order and guard the premises rushed to scene.

The court heard he found Mapfumo who was heavily drunk still urinating in the guard room. It is said Masunda handcuffed the complainant and dragged him inside.

The fuming Masunda, the court heard, turned Mapfumo into a punching bag. He hit him with open hands and left him lying on the floor gasping for air. Masunda, the court heard, released him after an hour.

Mapfumo, who was still intoxicated, staggered to Bulawayo Central Police Station where he made a police report. Thereafter, Masunda was arrested. 

He appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Stephen Ndlovu facing an assault charge.

He pleaded not guilty.

He took to the stand: “I did not assault him. I only pushed him inside the guard room after I caught him urinating in the guard room. I handcuffed him and left him lying on the floor while I continued with my work,” he said.

Mapfumo, who was nursing a swollen face said: “He saw me standing near the guard room and accused me of having urinated into the guard room. I tried to explain to him that I’m not the one who  urinated in the guard room but he would not accept my explanation. He fumed at me before he handcuffed me and violently pushed me inside the guard room,” he said.

He went on to say: “He hit me with open hands and kicked me all over  the body while accusing me of being  disrespectful. I bled. He released me after an hour.”

The magistrate remanded Masunda out of custody to next week on Tuesday for continuation of trial.

-BMetro