HARARE — Former police detective Jaison Muvevi has been sentenced to four life terms in prison after the High Court found him guilty of four counts of murder and four counts of attempted murder linked to a shooting spree that left a trail of death three years ago.

Justice Gibson Mandaza of the Harare High Court ruled that prosecutors had proved their case beyond reasonable doubt and dismissed Muvevi’s defence that he was mentally unstable when the crimes were committed.

“The state managed to prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt in all counts and the defence of mental insanity did not apply to the accused,” Justice Mandaza said on Wednesday.

The judge said “society is safer without the accused” before imposing four life sentences – one for each murder conviction – and 10 years’ imprisonment for each of the four attempted murder counts.

Muvevi had denied all charges during trial and, through his lawyer Blessed Matandire, argued that he was suffering from mental illness and was being tormented by “evil spirits and goblins.”

The trial heard that Muvevi went on a violent three-month shooting spree between Harare, Hwedza and Mutare, killing four people – Nyarai Round, Chrispen Kanerusine, Inspector Maxwell Hove and Munashe Majani – and attempting to kill four others, including a police detective and a Mutare Boys High School employee.

Muvevi’s murderous spree began with the shooting of Round in Harare’s Eastlea suburb on November 19, 2022. A wrong suspect had been arrested for that crime.

The three other murders were carried out within a few hours of each other on January 13, 2023, starting with the killing of Kanerusine, a 62-year-old self-styled prophet.

Muvevi allegedly lost his rag after Kanerusine, who was operating from a Johanne Masowe shrine at Negombwe Village in Wedza, gave a prophecy he did not like.

An incensed Muvevi went to his vehicle and returned with a gun with which he shot Kanerusine once in the head, killing him instantly.

Armed police responding to the incident cornered Muvevi at an area called Matsine by parking in front of his stationary vehicle, blocking his path. Muvevi, who was outside the car, opened fire on the officers.

Wedza officer-in-charge Inspector Hove, who was unarmed and sitting in the front passenger side of the police truck, was shot three times and succumbed to his injuries.

Muvevi then targeted Detective Constable Tendai Mugova who was armed with a CZ pistol and had taken cover under the police truck. Mugova was shot three times on the left hip, stomach and right shoulder but survived.

Muvevi disarmed the police officers of their guns and jumped into his vehicle and sped off towards Goto.

He subsequently shot and killed 20-year-old bartender, Majani, at Murambinda business centre for unknown reasons.

As he made a desperate dash for the  Mozambique border, Muvevi was also accused of the attempted murder of Raphael Nyahwema at Mutare Boys High School.

“All the deceased were unknown to the accused. All the murders occurred in broad daylight. The accused was being haunted by evil spirits and goblins, that’s why his mother was taking him to the shrine,” his lawyer Matandire told the court, seeking a special verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity.

The court rejected the application after hearing evidence from 30 state witnesses and considering testimony from prosecutors Caroline Mutimusakwa and Tapiwa Kasema.

In aggravation, prosecutors said the attacks were premeditated and carried out in public places using firearms, and that one of the victims was a serving police officer on duty when he was killed.