Fancis Ziayinza v People (SCZ Appeal No. 23 of 1993) [1993] ZMSC 148 (2 March 1993)

ln ll£ SI. PR&£ c.)RT 'ii- .lA·BIA ti.lJI:ll AT illi. A. (uimil\11 ~cticn). RW£lS TJAY1t0. Vs Tt£P8)11.. E ~ CGr&ii: ~ . ~ cnJ ChlllA. J.. J. J. S. 2ndt'brd1-1993.. Rr 1118 ~lant. S. X. ~1thall, ~119 01~ rA 1aJr)1 Aid. riart • .:. ueu. AssiSterlt S:rtia- Sttte MA'.ate. f'tr 1ne ~ Sa<ald J. S. oaltWftd tha , t~ r# tro Olri. ,JYDGHERI Tie 41Pe11c11t • am~ of ~ rctD!I')' IXlltnV'Y tc Sectlm 294(1) Cao 146 of the l..&1WS of lam)la. lhe WUCUlers ~ tilt offau aUei.~ that. tiie ~lmr., m tte 7th o f~ . r. JaJ dt .<.aS4·b, jointly iRl ·.tlUSt a;tir>J t.o]ettiw wttil otmr persa1S lft"Uf4 stole ~ 'IO"til N'. I-,@, uie ~Y of r-\i&ry au~ 411.1 used vlolm::e at the tim& of~ ru;oery. ~i;tly, the Olse hr W ~~ . S Uat ?W2 ~ lltilkii~ ilCffl:'! wU,1 a trial! Wlell ti~ W!f'e Wlfrmtsd by ~ nm ii1) s l~ ner M i~ VlR tx1tt'I b> sit cbn. ~ triey e-e Gad t.o ciJXa ~1 ueatt-i <r lost~ tneir ;:,rqxny. TI--ey su r~ tieir ~ . ·roe foU.cwtt"Q ~ . i\ii2 went w t.~ r:\11'ket •1ere »-e lcllf a ~ .v-in:; a SKirt. She l<l':fru fi~ to i.e '1-a~ the prtµrcy stolen frort ler tte ~Jws ~ .. ?wl .is Ute persai WI) l81 301d lJK' tJlU ~irt. Accorol:1-J to PWl, Ile was ljLVIJl !Gu.00 by tne ,tien too ~lartt thlS ~ltifi':li JJ ?..11 the dj.+)ellant as <:a.11USS1al for sellif~ the sKirt.. W/~loi!Wlt. Pt'i?. ~5131 the ~. UIWlt as CO!! of h!!r' assaila)ts ttP. -04i ~ . lhat ~«al wes M, ~ iCBltifl«J In his d!!f~, ve ~la1t dali«i kmiiifl) t>-.n. :-ie also deni~ givin.; a ~<in to hi::: to seU m 111$ behalf. cl1u1nnJ um. t~ iiNSS olly f-.;m.t in tie ~ of nt1., Jl~ 18Qflo:! tnal J~ 00 ~ evio:lnce a, J\!OJl'd tA.ltal Ma! a Wl1'.neS$ witn a ~lble 1ntere$t tJf his ()fl to Sel"\P, hlivli'\. J ~ tha ~ ..t1o sold the stolen µrq:ierty aid dlso 1·~11~ bean ~neJ ~ tlle p:>ike dfll interro.;ated for tm ~ offera. The l&lmed bi4l ')/ ~ ... jt. Hl9e -aI:;o fo~:1-.:1 i::1iil t.he ~vioertce of Pwl, ttle cO\llplainant, to the effect that sh~ rec0901s~11 ti1~ tlp1ii ➔ li<lnt on the follo·-ing day corNlxwat~ the '->kirt ':>y too suspect evidi!nc.e of 11w1, 1~hA.n he said '.1.t.! nad o-~oo ;;i 111]0 l . J::;~e1lant ::u sell 1..)11 nis :Jt~tli.dl. i :,e 1 ~,fftJtd ;.,cti.ns; ;:; i rt:c.i.:.vr of Le,;1.1i ;,.i (; adv !'. UIC\~u v.r10 ~rounds of tippeat. H~ SuLli;,l ·:u:1.: tntit ~ilt! k<ltibJ -~'" ~:.d ju;l\J';! i,il~,hrect~rj nt,,1s,~lf iri con vi c t.1 llJ tht~ JiJP'?. l L:mt ur. th F: unc .:;r rol:H.1 r ..2 tei.i •"\' i d~nc~ of ?tis 1 , 2 and 3 .. Tl•I';! l~t1rneJ ;\ctrnq Dln~e1:or of Legal i"Hj p:~)inte:J out t:·idt ?•~1 is tnl! one w.110 sold tne s}art to Pl~3 y~t in nts jwli;,1111f1:nt tht1 learned tf'(d judge: said nct,1iny aoout the stdtus of ~\J::l. Hi~ l-~drm~ct N;tin:l Uirector furtner ~uint~r1 out that i°·',i::.- ck;~$ iivt 11:t:nt1011 t'ti1 dild Jf:t th:~ lt!arnen tridJ Judge acc~pteo t,i~ ev 10'.'nc,e of PW2 as cor roi)orat i ng ?Ii\~ Th,~ 1 -~,1r!i-ed Act1 riy. uir~<:V)r ~l so .itt"ckid tn1z eviJen:t: of ,:>~;~ i,1 relation to it1~ntif ic~tiao. Ii~ ~r~u. JJ 'ti)a,~ tab ',Jtl.:i. d $).flrJh: iJ~ntifyin~; ~iti!t-~SS dfl(l t:1-a lo:.'arned trial Judge- n':::Y~r ccmsiij~r~J -:.n~ d,h1g~r of rel 1'LrltJ on i7 :iinul•:! wi tncss it'.lent1ficil tion.. "fhe ,.;cun•J Di:-s1::::tur p,.\.trrt-S"i out tl,<it t.iL:- $./-~in lli issu~ t,as OO'l@r The s~~cvno ,Jr0uni. J v'f <Jl}~l'.'.:11 15 trhtt til'$ uj)J)t1lant ..;eni-::d J)eing in:~•ol11t."'d rn tlli: rJ"0iJi;.•'i risf•t. fro;ii tile tLr,e ite 'lfd$ urresteu. He tel,)e,tecl ~,is 1e:1iul in c~..in,; t;,rl;!~ ,~ars l.11.ri:r at ti1e tr-1.:tl. Uirec.tor argued tlJdt ii was J 1111 sd1r-?.ction fer iii<::: le.arr,~ trid l jue!g1.~ to rne 1Gorned Acting ,.a~;i:1ss t:1e ,'lpµ; . .:l l.i:int • s. aenial as ;1n .ifter :/i:JL!Jiit.. wuuld ~~ unsaha t. J al low tnP. CUrtViCtlOtl to S"tdild. ;;.~ sut,11.itted tt1~t it Jn i:•~nc1. lf ,:;if trn'! Stat~, :'-~r. L ~a 1 i ind i Ci:! tl?l.! ttl.1t tie :i(Jfipon~u t/rn conv1ctrnn au>J .idLi ?iii sold tn~! skirt to ,>~tj a.n<1 hi2 !d~ntHied t;ni,! skirt ~i1en l t 'l'idS 01:i n!j .. ~.j1,l. by / '.·:3. r~,ognitton jy f1:-I,~ <i,1~4u;lt,~ly r.tXtoborated ~i1e ~~vid,~t~~ -of P,H. ti.a s l.ibd t ~(~1i Ci'l'IJ i. l..:k:. •;V 1:1 .. rn~<:J cf ioitt i1a.'. Je ve r_y car2f ul i.:1 ex3.r.,i nqd t/1e ~11i rJenct:i on rncord JnJ tl)e jud-;:,1let1t by t,n~ ledt-.1·2\i tnt!! court. H~ ho'lt:~ ulso a(.ldre~m our mlnd.s to tri~ sub:ntss1,Jr\3 L,y ;:,0,)·t l~.::t"n,:;i cow1sd. !//~ c:.grer:: tn~t ?Ut, i'lavrn~.; i;E•::.n in possession of J .stoi-:n s,;tft ot rl,e LL¥'. -d.fi(! navi11,;i oeP.n rnt.eri-Qgated \:ii:.. S J 1d ~fl':?SS ititl« it µOSSi fol~ lntetfi'St of rtis and uetd i fl{JC by i:.:'i:: ~1:; l.i, :.;(,, .i.:• ;;.t.:c 1;,::;·.~ .. ~-~"1r .s-21d.sf ieu thdt tnis su.speci e~iaence of PW1 o,;n to it?t"Vt-. lt. J$ ~ikqua t -~1v COl't'OJO/',J L-=d i:i.)I t;1-:;; ~viJ~.•:r~~ . Jf ~n il(1fi€St wi tf;~S:i, PW2. In acicilt.i rJ,1/1-t:re ev i O'W,;t~ ,)f u SuS;)el.l.. 1,1 l ti!~;,!) df"t; Ltl~ c:i. CCU.li~ td:tC~$ surrc1.11HJit:J :rt~ $ak, ~n,'; tih· ,:;~nn~r- b r1idci1 c1,;0 ;;t:- ~c•ffotlction. Tr-,:: .,;i:;.i,)al -.j~a1r,st ,:;.,J:\vktrnn is weref.:.w1: ,i.is·:,i.::;.sw·;. 3/ •• ro::;f. Ji-'t''i ••"-JS l.:'.o;,,:ii tted .. .1r•~ ti!~f\~fx,'-' .'.:iJ~l~h~d t:1;;,t t.;·i-~n:.· WdS s,J.,~tn:i.iJ @We:> ju5tifying tile to J3. The sentence of sixteen years imprisonment with hard labour does not come to us with a sense of shock. The appeal agaJnst sentence is also dismissed. ·····~············~······················· U. T. Gardner, SUPREME COURT JUDGE. ····-························· ··········· E. L. Sakala, SUPREME COURT JUDGE. ·····················-····················· D. K. Chirwa. SUPREME COURT JUOGE.