Felix Muhongo Mukubesa v The People (Appeal No. 7 of 1986) [1989] ZMSC 126 (23 May 1989)

ill ntE· 'SUPROIE COURT Of ZAMBIA : ·H01 D1r11 . AT :Lu••1r• .: ·' · ~ .' '',, ·1:.., .t--:i ~·-1: ··: ! ., . .. ,. · -· r ~ ..... · · (. Cr:imlll•l·JuliJJ,dl~tlon) t ··•) ,l;~d~"~.;; ::. h-~s -~r~..,~d tha\_tt1e r~~~~nsr; _ '. ' ,. ' • . ' ~ ,;,, " · " .. ,.·, •1 ··.-. : · , . • • · 'I• •,; • ; • • ·" ; . , . _ .,. ~v,.;!- ~· ·fJ ,..t ,.., • . :1-: , , . ,.- :• · .. "f!b.' .... ~ •• J • " 'I t',;,t ~t I J 'J'I, "' t'"'-... ,, ·'t.'O• ,.. ,...0 · f~LirJIJHONGO MUKUBESA.~r:-·!:.~,; 1·,V Appellant· i ·:· · • ·' ·. f :- ''(' : · · .. : ~,~ TIii· PEOPLE :i, 1\ :,, .. 9_·-~•.f;~.-.;·· .. Rese9ndtnt·:: '." ~ ' -~ · 't 11fil-. t tf~ ·. .. y,- •:i t v/ Qi° · 1 " ~ ·•1' • . .,,1,..-: 'tn u•,.. : " •:'_~ ·::.,_;:;~ ; • ""OJ 'Vt•\::, .., t , , : . ~ .... .... • • . . . • • , , . • •• "'- · · • ,,. t:: , - • ... ' • • ' :1 t:! •: ~J f.: 1rrt, t .l-1'1';-~ . j~-~ii r;i.i;~ -~ · ffi ·~ i.:H ,~!t; ti C-ORAM: Ngulube. ·o.c. J., Gardntr,· AJ.s~.l '.~ 11i/ ~~s~-; .. ·:i' _,_.i_..~;;r:-;~--t:'.l _: . . . , 23rd Ma.,,. ,1989. ,·_ '•/ ,: :: ' . .. . ··- •• . , • • • • t . . . - · ,. ·, -" ',.:::,<f of ti!~ St~.~eJ~iii".\-:;i'J,f::."t,\ft fc;,-r-:.;utd ·: D .. M. Luywa of Lu,w~ and . Co.:. for; the·rap,.11_aflt;~11~1:,~/b/.,t:<···1:~:~>l'lr. R.-SlYakU111rian. As,tstant~;-:sanl(Jr ·state"'Advoc,1:e:t~-~theistatt : . • I • + I I -~. " : • • I ' • .", • · : ; . • • { ' ' • I • • • • t O 1 • I • o J • • ••• •• --; ' ,: • -; :1•·~ ·. •:/ V/'(1:1 ;··•11; ',' i. H:rd > · ... ~,~r., ~-~- ~~~ tv~~ ~ t\dffl',it ~~t:, ~-;-~°'~'1~~.-·t,:f~·-.l'l.~-f.~~,.::: .. . · .. ' '. . .-. .. . ·, ['; '·"'~. !,·; 1-h~i -l~gbtt·at-~ ·ror pr·afiaJ'·T?ltl~Ftt~1{~d.d.1:ina~ r,if .. \ '. pu~r;~(! fr.~·: n,"" 't·!•'dn.i t!:'>•: 1:; f. , \ , .... . . : \ ~ • · ·. This, 1s ~n application, fo~ a11 ,'. X·:t~n•\9.~;--~f i~.l1~e,.,l '?: p,t~~ :~~tice · ·Qf applicetion for leave to appeal. ~ . . . '. . . ' . ' .... . i~;":_\ ,·~:·:· .. :.: , :-... ·· . · · .· .. _· ' · .. ·-:::·.\,((?./~(~ :·· i \ ::_. -:/ :.--=· . " ·. "The fact s •:of the !case :art ~that 1'the:'appl1d~ri1i.tii~1}i~~d1'spute '· .. ··. with the· woman complat~ant; PW. 1.· arising ·out ~,. :t~e '>fns~ltl_ng by : the con1plain,nt I s chfldren of 'th• appli~an~• s,'wife~,·-.· ,'.ih~---~omplli:ria~t·i: gave ·evidence that, .during the 'cour~e?r~f. the d,is~ute·; the ·appl'~cant had bttten her on the face causl;ng,lto fall -down •. ·To1f1ppiicant hlm1el1 gavtt evidence that the complatn~nt had gr~p~cl ~·im •.by-- the -neck; and ~ in ord_er to ciuse h,r to desist, he ~' .. ~1;had -pu·sh~ h~r-~way;·-~s .·a __ · · ' . reiult of which ,ha ftll down •... ~ ~a•.··•_ .. \ ....... _ •. _"~~:. i-._ ••.•.• i,. .•• ·.-.• • ~-.. ◄ ~ ..... ~ ~"'~-: •·,,'3,p·;---.~---., ,·;-:·~•::_ . :., . . . . . . . . .. ' •"f ... . {\ft'-J'<-1}"" .... ("¥.ff . • . . _There was medical evidence "that the· compla1n"1t s1:1stained ... .. :-.:\~f$~·-·_:. :·,_. ' . - .• ... -,t i~,. .. l!"s tr~ ,, . 1i.,..... . . . . . '••..; ·~-... ~ .... -.... ' . . - . , ., ' . • . ', . . ~ ~ . \ • I . . . . • iacer~Uon · of the forehead and of the upper lip;··_. _-The 'trial · ·. . · : · moglstrat.e accepted that the case had to ~ ~t{td1cld~: .. 9~ · ~---·,: ·. · :. '. · . ·. question of· credtb1 ltty. ln dec1d:1ng _.wh~~h -~f.-1th, _part~es ·t~ bel~~ve •;· ·- ~ -~, ' .... , ·~ fc.•,. ... :· .... f. .. l'i'i(, ,· •• "!""'ti~' '"" he had this to say·- r, .. • 1 •~v ,-,~; -., .. . ;-:t.'.!.\'1.. .. .l1-J.~· :~.1• .... 1. L;si:: . .':1-~,-~. •:-"'7::•:-:.·. ,/: i.,,:;_ .-:.--~~ ·'. . ' • . ~ were actually faciJYJ each other Wllll lt ws·. Slld that Ull ac(USail . · lnfllct.ed oo bl<MS cri her. H:,d the acx:usEd just pJShed · ;Uhe ·corplalnant she was ~lrg to sustain injuries at the mck or hlr head n:I ootcn the fcahld mi l'ID1tif. :,·,· .. : • .. , . ' . -;.i .~ __ ; .• ·- • ,. . . · -~. :.. ' · . • • • . ' .- . The. 111glstrat1 then went on to s11_ that lt•:fo.~fed front thls that ·. th~ only ·1~glcal explanation was that· the' appllc•~t 'ha( . . · . . ' ; • .. .. ,. ' - ' ~ - "' • if • "II • ,.. C A -, ... : .. I -,. • •• • /J2 beaten.-~ •• - ' '. I· :, ••.}, • • • I • t I •• ' · · · - - •;_ . , •• , .-. - · - ,J • • • - I j· I I I, I i . l · , . .. . ' ' ,· . ( Mr/' ~uywa· ·.on beha 1 f of the applicant has arg~,d ihat. the··: r,~s~,'.l.ln~ of the magistrate was incorrect in 'that 1t ·was ~rong•:to· 'Say th4t·. ·. a. person who is pushed from' the front must····1n~evlt.aQlY.\ fal:l \on~his In view of.·the ,fact' that-.the .. or her bac~ and not on the face.. magistrate relied solely on tills argument in de~ldlng ~hlch :.of.:.tha parties to believe, Mr. Luywa argued that there had .b~en a .m1.~di~e·ct1on · as a r•sult of which the applicant should nev~r · hav.~:'been convfcted. · .:. . > f , •• • ,; ; rt, .,,.-,•·: .• ~ . ·: . •. ·. • , • • • • , ., ' • • I • • • : . , ' • . , •. • • . 1 •• • t '\S~, r J. 11 .:i. J ,1_, r • · ... ~;,_', ., ... ··. , •"I, ~ • ' • v l , .. 1,,. .. 1, • • , • .,_ : , •. • . .. • . , , , I • Mr. _Slvakumaran on behalf o~ the State has . r:1~.t'- put f. Qrwar.d any serious -argument against the points put ·forw~rd·by. Mr. Luywa. and hU' apparently indi~ated that the St~t•:·dot$1°AAi\.supp,o~.i -~hl$ ' .. . conviciior:i •.. -·· . · · .: · : _. ,.~.ii-~-~·:_ · :· : . :,. .· :·: ·~-... .. ~ _ ...... _, ____ -----. ------... ----·- · q n -~ ~ !IJ' .,.· . · . · .. · i t .. ·.',·'.: We agree witn M~ .. LuyWa that' it was wrong:·tor'the··~gistr~te· to say that a person who is PU$hed from .the·-front ·must inevitably:- -~ .. - land on his or her back, and ·we·atso agree that, as this was the .. · oniy reason given by the ,magistrate for preferrf~g the evtden~e· ·ot . the ·complainant · to that of the : applic:ant,' this "convlctl.on ccmnot · · • St,.n" f,;.,,_.-. f~!-♦t ;c,~~·:1 .., l"i' ·• · · :-:~••,','J~.~~ • . . ••·~ ~:'\ ~-, ... ; ••.• ,;t• .. , ·\ t\.,.. • ~ r.:{~ Iii ♦"': ' ·. , .. ., .. \ ., l ·.·,:·!, '1 r , - ' • 11: • • ,•• • : ".' r, , • • • ~ t ,-11 • • • . ~·• · , _; , ;,: , • • •• ~ ~ _, • • • • t · • · • ~ ' • : ~ • I •: ; ' ,, • ._-,- ,. •~ O o ! • • • • : : O • • f • • • I ' - I - ' . . , • : The appllc:otlon for ·,an, extem's.lon ~-8,f~ time tis. '.gran~ed ~ :·the_;J .. appllc:ation for .leave to· appeal ,11:grantedrand iWil,l_ ~,,tr~ultedt-as the appeal., For the re1sons that·we have 19.lven!the.appeal 1s"aliowed. the conviction. 1 s quashed and the sentence. 1 s : set· aside. ·. :, ;H : ,;1;,:, :: ...... -~ ... --.--. . - . . . ' ' ·,:: . • : : , \:: (''Jj ;:,,,J:~i ;"f).'·;.-~I fall ck\Yi~. ~ tfi~ :~J:/t'b;·~·nt.r,f11::,~lf . • • : ' 1' t,\•:.,; • / ·,•;•,•,' ' , , . • , , IO ' • ! • • . , i,, ' . ' ; , .,_, , . • ;:·\·,;; :d·'.1; .• :>: t}•;,1· ;i':t. C. Ol\!;'l.t!r'l~~t h•3.0 1i1ra~d ~i.~i~_.r::~~.•~e~~-- ·_:!H°jd,- t :, :::"<"1 • • • ' • ·,•;•·:.1:~ ··. ·:·.1. '. -i·) ,::·•:••1;:c: :,:r. t ,] c(.;.~tst •. 11.u ~ • ~ _• 't , ----:-• .. •1 .......... ', C«- ~:~t • . ···············••4!·~····,.,. .• , ....... ~ ....... . --~-n~·. pu.~~ -~r;.~~e'y'La~·-&\:- • : •:•4': o 1;:;:~l-~-~~ .. • ~ • • •• ~. · , I~ I •• : ·. I , ' ' •• • • . - . r ' • • . . M. S. Ng~ltiltt ·: . ·: DEPUTT CHIEF JUSTl~E-:_. ,'·_ .. ;·;··,-;,in-·. -; , <:. ,. ·:;· ·::;,::f'.'' ;(,·.-J a.f ·;_;·:t·. :_q;r:;1r, dv~: .. -~ti. :tr!nJ . · . : ·: . • • • • I )1/ ••• . , · I • .... ·, .... , • ' , ( ," • \'. ';,, .• ' •..- ,-,·-1•· c•.,,_, .. ,·. !-.-,~' ~ .... t~;., ---d~!~ ... :-1-.-,.,1·· ,-•. ,._., .. W:.1¥' •\,.~~f. ,_~. • . ...-: • . ~ I • ~ > Oil I•.\, ► ,_..,, (; .._i, (!) JJ . .. .. . . : . . . •,