THE High Court sitting at Chinhoyi has sentenced a convicted killer to 720 hours of community service for his brother's murder last December.

The convict, 27-year-old Trevor Kapungu of Chitambo in Chinhoyi fatally stabbed his brother Tonderai (35) during a brawl over a T-shirt.

Trevor will perform unpaid work, commonly referred to as community service, at the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) Chinhoyi offices and is expected to complete it within the prescribed timelines.

In passing sentence, High Court Judge Philda Muzofa, sitting with assessors, took into consideration mitigation from Trevor who said the murder was unintentional and not premeditated.

The court also weighed the victim's mother's testimony saying she could not bear the double-loss of a dead son and the lengthy incarceration of the other.

The court heard that a bloody altercation broke out at the family house in the Chitambo suburb after Trevor accused the now-deceased of taking and wearing his T-shirt without permission and soiling it.

In the ensuing fight, Trevor stabbed his elder brother with a kitchen knife resulting in the victim bleeding profusely from a wound inflicted on the back, just below the left armpit.

The assailant then locked his injured brother inside the house, but the victim later managed to exit through the window and sought help from neighbours.

The now-deceased was later rushed to Chinhoyi Provincial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead two hours later due to excessive bleeding.