Edwin Mulambya v People (Appeal No. 112 of 1984) [1987] ZMSC 92 (20 October 1987)

IN THE SUPREME COURT FOR ZJ. MBIJ. J;pa1 ?b. 112 of 1934 HOLDEN I. T LUSI. KJ. (Criminal Jurisdiction) EDWIN MULI. MBY. I. J.. PPELLJ. NT V THE PEOPLE RESPONDENT CORJ. Mt Ngulube, D. C. J., Gardner and Sakala, JJ. S., 20th October, 1987 H. Silweya, Messrs Silweya and Company tor the 1ppellant N. Sivakumaran, Senior State J.dvocate, for the Respondent J O D G M E N T Gardner, J. S., delivered the judgment or the court. The appeilant was convicted of murder, the particulars or the charge being that on the 24th of October, 1982, at Sesheke he did murder John Kwazi. The facts of the case were that the appellant a paramilitary policeman in the army was well known to the officers or the police station at Seaheke where he regularly went to collect his mail and to have car batteries charged. On the day in question he was seen to go into the enquiry office, take from under the lumber jacket which he was wearing a Russian automatic rifle and shoot deliberately the deceased who was a policeman on duty in the enquiry office. There was evidence that having shot the deceased the appellant left the enquiry office and fired two shots in the direction of the windows of the office of the officer in-charge of the police station. There was evidence that the windows were in fact broken by the shots. The appella~t's defence was that he went to the enquiry office in order to pay an admission of guilt fine which had been imposed upon him by one of the prosecution witnesses, PW.8 for loitering during 2/ •••••.•••.••.••.•••• curfew. l ' . J "'. 't ti~ 8 ;tnd • b·e in~ l.n t °I": tr Ii}, $-0 WGl!l,r'i n~ t,¼ 1).1. StCl,l ffq ~~id thit t~e aut~~atlc ~ifl~ ~a~ clua« a,«r cu~~~M. hi~ u•!r. ,rn~ h\1! ~r~r. b~ ~~~ ~ntitl,d to ~srry hat~ w~apona. Ro·~2!d no tf~S tr.~rn!~e.(.j i~ U·,i; P0,11-Crii? Stktl.'.\fl a~d ~W.3. Sichu1a trl4i"t1 to ~ak~ the rifle aw~y ~ro~ ht~. ne fu~t~~r ~~id· th~t- dctrin~ thr cr.'1t•'~'i ot =1 1it.r1.~sl~ for- ta• rif"l(! it ACC-iEi1Jn~al!.y ....,,,nt; (')( a~~ t.iJ '-U1s !'l'>t ~«!are J.r.v:ie<fil!tt~J,y e\"en that th·-e dec:ca$ttd b46 h~eg shat. ½u H~1~ th~t prior tc 3~1~1 tnt• tbt enQ,,lJ.•,r of!"ir.-:: th1' lt-~fat:y c,nc~ '}f.' tne r"trl• ~-lrJ t;eeordn t"~ ~•ff) Dt.>!)1t1c-A •fid tt:·1t thG 1,1:St. ti·8"1 riot bee.~ eoe'<t-d. Re dsr.:on5t' rattrf 1r: th-1' t;-t9l ~01.u·t t.!'l~~ Ln .0rd,et" to~ )she r;un to !>• tir3'd '11\. ii·l l tllll: s .. r«ay .t-.att:~ r,ad t~ ~~-:- l~OVl1~ frQ,.il tt;lf l~i1£.fi.~d :Nstti.on and tnll' sun ~"{i to bl! t?ie trt.sg·-ett t:~d tn b~·pfJll•~• ltt th!3 ,~nect:io.n t'tie t-o-<:i1.'t1(! ;u1<1 l.a3rncd tr:t~l . J1id.g~ aett$rJt-11td. exp~rt. •v!denc'3 !"re~ 1 balH.,-Uc •x-pert t.h,'lt. t ~9) ~t-,u:i 1-1,.-.. ht ·p•rf-9et. W('r'.cl!'\,«. ~r•Jcr. lf1 so · · ~~~e~ . ~j· rr~~ the d~~on9tratios ~iv•~ by t~~ ~~~ell~nt that .a. r11tr- 1)1)!<;)\.lnt ~'!' force ·and sk·1ll w~11t N1ql•lr1td to carry .out. L~~ r1rst ·tvo ~P~~At1e~ft ~r u~\nekln~ th@ i~reL) ~atch aad coc~inff t~e ~un. H<e k nu~b~r or wt~~v~t•s ~av~ evid,nc~ ~r ~av1n~ n~eA th~ .tr,Jtellent.•~ JCt1~,,t ~"fl\?e or the4! tH>l.1¢• ofric~r, "r.d art~~~ civilie~s, an~, a~ter t~e i"c!d~nt, ,v.ij t~• some · ~UU1 who hi.4 ~ri,l!i!''Ul"ll~ ChJl"'f.itQ t•l~ app~llant with lr.-ltl!-l"'~!'l~I sald that h~ b~~r~ ~n~ ~PP~ll$nt seyin~ ~r ~111 fl~iBh th~se pol~e~~~n ~rr~, b8f~r~·flr1ng tw~ ~ttct8 tn~~rd~ t h e: a/ r i ,. e o f t. 1' ~ · o r r i c t r ... i. 11 - c h • r- .v.-e • , ~ i n do w ~ • £h;.1r.!.n~ t~,"' c:~urs~ ~r the i.-is! vie l~HH'n'!-1 tr-1~1 j~d~e h~ld a t~lal-~lt~in•a-trlal to·deC1d~ vM~th~~ ,o ad~SL ~ ~t~t~~ent wh!C~ t~P p~os~eut19n _~cr• putt1at I~ ~19 ~ultn~ ~rt-~ a_tnial within r~r~er~ in ~•ld~ncQ. a trial ti'l<' l'f.ftr!\,ed trltil ,~n1~e: 8a!d that h~ wo~Jd rE- .11:c.t. th~ ~t~te~~rt ~n ,h~ ~ro~nd$ ,hat t~e sop~ll~n~ sn1d tbs t it w&3 tak~n rr~~ nl~ by th• -uae of dure~s ~, th~ palJc~ orr1c~r3 ~~a ~•r~ !nt~rr~~~tin~ blm, The learned tri~l Jud~• b~lleved thi8 ~i~ht well have been iru~, hec~u!q ~he pol1ca offtc~r~ ftQJ ~ell ~•v• h•~n annoTod ~it~ t~~ appellant for ha~i~~ sh~t o~e ~, t~-ir rtll~~ o f ficers. rne app~l]ant hi~~6tr ~av~ ~~1~•~c~ releting ~0 the ios31bt!tty o ~ a~ acc1d~n~. "r1r·. ~Urt:y:a on t.l~hslf o!_ ·tn,e ~pp~1 'lMH, put fo ,-..-~f..d tuo ~rou~•~ ~r ~PP~~l? the ~ir~~ ~, ~h!ch w~~ tnat· t~~ l~~~n~d trial Jud~o irr~d !n ac~~otlne ~~~r~~, evlg6~Q~ ~~ to ' ' t-h~ '!\Qt}.v-e or :,~r=t{ •'I!' 'l!.lot..i vft " f tt:t ,-:,p:pe111u1t... PilalJ.rir- wt th th~ r1~3~ ~~o~n~ ?~ ~ppeal M~. fttlH~ya poi~t~d out that t~e le~rn~~ tr!~l :Yd;• h&d acc•pted thG ijViden~~ ~, so~~ pro~ocu~ton v!t~~~~•~ w~a ••~• ,~ttco o~ttcaP3 ~ithOdl takin~ l~tQ ~ccov~t t~~ r~ct ~hat in con~~ctt~~ ~it~ t~ff '11:ti t. E:: u ~4~ r., Jo-et ed t »11t ~ ,ff4efJ~ • {>f tt-~ ct pol L.c· e st,~ t.e; IM n t orf!c~r~ t'ii4d hs'cn .r"'ll'J11et•d _be(,i1..1B"- of. tt:itir ·-ll"~ny a.n1:-.osi;ty 'f'.~ ?, ~'! ff¾)r,i,11.en.t.~ th"'Y ~.ad -S:t:ieh il~ i-'11'0•! it Y 1:.-o-~~,~do- t.,.e •PP~l lant', .~r. ~.ltviay-tt •"~.u,Ht •t.'1. Jt, 1-t tYldence t~~, R~~~ l~ eo~rt w~6 3~Spect n~d th• l~~rn~d ..... ,--el'l- th1t tri-eft' J1.2de;~ s-".oul d hav~ re-.cr.:rr.df!d gtfh ~~aptclon. V1~h_r9~~rd tQ ,n~ ' 1utition ~r ·t~~ t:bi!l ~a~'-! ~rc11 i:>~-e Pv.,;. \liho ·· h-,rt (:1i.til13o l!fV'1d~l'l_t:.i11, 01,, . .:,1~t&r- to !l'la11..,e o co!l!•s,l;i1nt. • ; tJl>R •nq~fry G'trlet, t'!l-41? e71•4e~C#- · \ and <1n-.. -P-W.4, ;.1ho ~ti~ .a .~T'1.:l"3A~!" avid•n~• ~~ ta•1o~ •~~e ~~at ~ecur~d. ~r. ~11~~j• tr~U$d that ~b~re w•~ a~plo ~vid4"ce ~hAt tftor• v•r~ •t !~~~t lt~ ·1n tM,. Utlle 'lh-o. 5<"JV(t . ~qotl9 iQ • t~~ ~6qu1ry o~r}c~ ~ftd Jn lbAt ~Ltu~ttan thoa~ w!tn•t$e3 would h~•• ~o~~d it . J~rr1,~1t t~ ~~e wh~t N~~t , . . ('U't. l-1'\ J'Btt1c'Jla~- ll~ irni<t tha': ~lil.4t'I th• t,n.r!'l,d t~L~l llCC.(21)! e~ th~ ~"'1 <l"1t1Ce of" Pi:l .{) th~ t .1~11S1' nQ itrussl~ f~r t~~ ~u~, to t.-tk"l' 1,J)t1' RCCOUf\!;_ t!"Zf!' tJar• havi ~~~1'\ Sn ht~ ~l~t~~ ~n~!n~, e~~~la!n~ ~~d ~~nl~ not h~ve b~•~ loo~iffg ~= \he p~rtl~~ w~e ne~~ not ~~ce~~~rtly ~aYP b•~n stru~«,lin~ r,oi.s.l!:, •. 0'9alt.1'l~l wi-.}• the lea.rt~'l,1 t r l i l 5t.idi'li' 1 ~ ·tr~.at~a~f'l~ f')( i:~1~ d~i:'enc~ Q( _,.ce!d"P-nt, ?Jr-_. -~!'l~•ya ari;-1u>~ r.r<?.t tl~!t Jf'f :~,-n~d tria~ · ;!ud~a !'1,,_I'! acc.~~t~d t!•,~ ~r~~~~utl~n evideh(~ th$t \h~r~ hJd n~t ~•~n ~ atru~~l~ I • to c0u~~ th~ ~cc1d~~,, hut"~• ta!!cd to &Ce~pt the J)-O~Sibilit.f t-. .hAt the .lt')Piellant. l~'iF.~t bt" t~ll.1-tl5 :.hit tr·utn rre~ t:~-t ;:i~c::h.-11.l<::aJ. ~'<"l-111"-nc~, .,,_nd thbt .t"l~re tit~!'J •v-1,;t?ri_,;-, b~f?re ~h~ !ut~a t~ enabl~ ~,~ to ~~$clv• ~qy doubt !n r~wour or t~~ ~ppell~nt. ,~~t?n~ wSt~ t~ls qu~,tlo~ ~r ~~tjv~, Mr. ~!l~~ye ~r~~~d \~at it wa• ~rou~ tQr the l~~rned tri~l 1~d~• t ❖ fjnd, a~ he ~id th~t thl ~pp~l?a"l w,a:t t.-, ~.h,:r r,-cl!t:(' s~atii,n ~o :llV~rn~~ !, ~J: ar14~st a~rl -.. Jrt'of\'C. JJ, " tc ·ac.c~pt tn~ ev1der.c~ of P1'/ .. ~ t'1~t t~e apt>~llant ~aid he w~s golnR to ri~ish police orrleer~. Th~ firat part of ~ tru11t r_lnd1n~ by the t•arned t.r1.il Ju4Jtet was critleined by ~r. Sillit«ya 41'1 the ground that. t.ku•• 1,u1e no bal!l1s ro-r $uch a flnrlihg. T~e 3~ccnd part was cri\1cts@d oq tbe ~round~ that~~ hspp•n•d after the $hootlbg had oce~red and· in a ca~ital eas• -0r t~i~ nature it ~aa wrong to r~solve ~n, doubts against the app•llant by virtue or what oc~ur~d after the att ru vh lch he had. ~ee--n enarge«t. -Kr. Sl,1r·aku1'•ra» oo b"nalf' or t'tt• St.ate argued that-. th• le-.aMad trial J\Cdfi• dealt 1,,11 ttt ·u,e who.lo .isaut11 on 1 q~•~ioP or ertt1•tlityf tbat he was vntitl•d ~o ~e~~pt th• •vlf•a~• of t~e ,~o••c~tlon witneasea ~h~ •aid that th♦re had'••~ ao air~«gl~ and t~at b• vaA ~nt!tl~d t~ ~~•~ the c~nclue1oAs vhicb he ~A~ den• fer t~~ re~8nn~ ··~'--h ~or• ad~quatelv get. out by the leu•ne<S trial _~1Jd4'-ti. 1~ to ~otiY•, Mr. $ivakuura said the l•ftrn•~ trtel - Judi, dtd not ne ♦ f t.<) ftnd tfle mo-tive at .a.\l hut h-e had 4on• so ln •-· exc·ess ot' c:a1ati0a vnef_' de•l\ng vi th t,-l'ie rec~t• poasl•tltty tbat thwr~ ~ight be• defenc~ or ffe said the oeron~• or provocati~n wa~ prG~ocat1oft. pro,erl~ r ♦ jec~•d ~, th9 learn•d trial 1~dge ro~ r•asons or th• ~Qtive tnat he ••eribed to ·t~• appell~nt. is to tbe r1~st •~au~&nt put f~rw~~d by Mr. S1i~~ya ~e note tl&t tb• l~a~ned trtel jad~~ hieset~ ~~rlv~d at hi~ decision r•l•t!~g te t~• l~possiblllty or the ~un gai"~ Qff by ·accident by cons11~~10~ t~e 1~~o~~i~Jltti or thefre h-avin3 b·•:uni a atrug~l• hav\n~ r-9gflrd tt, tll~ ~¥lde11ee whlch 1thowed t.h'-' H-, a-ce,.-ptird tl:)-@ ev1d~~c~ or Urn th•re b&d b~en no 5t~u~~l• ~ainly on t~• «~~u~d t~~t h~d the gun ~~~n fir~d ~ccid*~t~!ly then rh4 ~ubsEquent :u. J.ogi.cality · '! ? 1..._ sti(h ~ dete~e4t. j'.':'~se.cot.ion w1tn~s!S'!S t.h11t action or th~ ~ppellant in firing sheyt~ at tn~ wind~ws or th~ office or tne orflcsr-in-char4e could n~t p~~stbly h&v• te~•n-~lace ~nd ~ould not po3B1bly hav~ b«en the r~ault or 2n accld~nt. M~. sitweya ~r~u~d that a3•nQbody ~n~w th• dirfct1on in which t h~~~ .window~ ~~rft it . ~As pQSl!ibl..- ror tite ~11'1 to h~~~ Rorie off' · _ on~ of th• ~n~t~ to ~~ve hit t~e d~c•~&•~ a~d th~ ofher ~uto~atic:.ally, '.,'-/ •••.••••••••••. ,!iu~genttor: su~~e~tion was d~alt with by the l~a~~ed trial judge h1~s•lf who 2~id th~t h~ aceepterl the evidence of the police wJtnnS$ who found one e~pty cartri~~e ca~e in ttle e11<p11:"Y offlc:.~ and t,1.1rj Ar·;p-:y c~rt..ri.<:f~1;1:1 out~i1~ t.h~ enq1,.11r-.y off:!.c~. Had All t~e :,hot~ b~~.n f1r~ "~ su;q~Stf1C: by Mr. S\lwey~ t~e c~r~rid~e ca~es would ob~iouGlY have Ji.,rotl,~r reeaon· wh~ t!ie be~fl all i~ the .s,'i;r,c pl;1ce~ le~rn~~ trial jud~~ acc~pted ~h~t there could not havft be~~ an ac~ident w~~ p-0$:ai bl e i nt.erest t.n ,~,sis t 1; h~ pol1ee,., fiilv,t ~v:i '1~rrce of' h&".lin!l: ~fi'tefl. th~ ~r>pell1rnt t'.ir~ _n1e nex-t two shots at thf! windo•s ~f tne off!~e ot th• ar~1c~r;1n-G~a~~e. . th~t PV.£, a ~itn~,s with no _ .. I - •• .,. 'l'heri,for1!', lf ~r-, ~~h•ey'-'-'r- ar~ument ·w'.'ls·_accepted H1at_.the pro-,~cutton w1t.n~~~, a bia!'S ~~atn~t the appe\lant, thert1 ..,as ina,pen<fent f:\Qin~ a f:H:>lice·'Jl!litnes~, ~a! hav~ ·· h~d evide·nce to corrobor1!ltP. ~t.ich· e,•.i(foncQ t:11Hi the 1'"1l~rnel'J trial Ju~~n ~~s tn our view quit~ r1~h~ ln 3cc~ptln~ tha whole ~r that evide"e~. /.s to th~ question ~r l'lOtiv.e we_ -agre•! wit.h Mr. Sivakum~ran th~t-there was no need for the l~ar~ert jud~e to find·~ ~riti?~ at all, but ash~ did ·$0 i t Mas tn connection with the reje~tion of th~ po~si~l~ · derence of provo<:at'ton and no injue.~ice lf'1~ done to ·th~ 11.ppellant ~Y ~ueh r1ndin~ in ~ny w~,· wftat~oiv~r. ' I t i' Q U ow ~ that des"' J t e rt he 31:-: i 11/1'~ 1 c r, JA r • s il w ~ '? ~ n a~ put forward th~ argu~ent$ ~" behalf or th~ appellant· nuch .:\!"~,1J1Mints cannot .tJ.ucc.~•d b~cau~~ in '=>Or v,~w t-h-: . l.e.arn-e1 trt~l j~1dg~ did ,not :½isdirtet ni;,S91r !n a1'ly '.!ay... no Prounda upon vhich t~l~ ~ppeal could pos~ibly 9ucceed. Tn<H'i?: the ~pp~aJ i~ di8~i~3ed. 7~~re is Mc app~~1 · th~ mandatory ~en~QnCe. !( .• . 1 • !}F:J'U i l CH.! f. F , • ~ 1.1 1 u be· ,JU .srrm:i: B.·r . G;,rdn~r :31JPR£~~ COTJ!H ,TIJD<i!::