AN EVIL man strangely bizarrely claimed before a magistrate that he was in love with his biological daughter whom he sexually attacked on several occasions before impregnating her.

The 51-year-old man who cannot be named for ethical reasons is from Heaney Junction in Umguza District, Matabeleland North Province. He appeared for trial before Bulawayo regional magistrate Matthew Mutiro facing a rape charge.

He pleaded not guilty as he claimed he was in love with his daughter, who had begged to have sex with him at his homestead. The man was remanded in custody to 8 February for sentencing.

In his defense, he said on 22 December last year he returned home in the evening and found his daughter sleeping on his matrimonial bed in his bedroom.

He said he woke her up so that she could go to sleep in the kitchen. Suddenly, wicked thoughts filled his head, and he blocked her path before she sat on his bed.

Shamelessly, the man said they fed each other chips before his daughter requested to have sex with him and they indulged without protection.  

He said later, his daughter left and slept in the kitchen. He told the court that on 25 December last year, he returned home from a boozy night out and found his daughter sitting in the kitchen alone and he gave her hot chips.

After that, they headed to his bedroom hut where they engaged in consensual sex before he dozed off. He told the court that, inexplicably, his daughter woke up during the night and went to report him to a neighborhood watch committee member who later arrested him.

The court was told that on 22 December last year, his wife left for Masvingo to spend the Christmas holiday there. The victim was left in the care of her father and there was no one else at home.

On the same day he left for a party and returned home drunk and allegedly found his daughter sleeping on his matrimonial bed before sexually attacking her, the court heard.

Last year on Christmas day at about 9pm he allegedly sexually attacked her three times after that the victim reported him to the neighborhood watch committee leading to his arrest.