Moepi v R (CRI/A 7 of 88) [1989] LSCA 14 (24 February 1989)

C R I / A / 7 A / 88 IN T HE H I GH C O U RT OF L E S O T HO In the m a t t er b e t w e e n: H A B O F A N OE M O E PI v REX B e f o re the H o n o u r a b le the C h i ef J u s t i ce M r. J u s t i ce B . P. C u l l i n an on the 24th day of F e b r u a r y, 1 9 8 9. F or the C r o wn : M r. G . S. M d h l u l i, D i r e c t or of P u b l ic P r o s e c u t i o ns For the A p p e l l a n t: M r. M . M. R a m o d i b e li J U D G M E NT The a p p e l l a nt w as c o n v i c t ed of t h e ft by the S u b o r d i n a te C o u rt at L e r i be and w as s e n t e n c ed to 18 m o n t h s' i m p r i s o n m e n t. He w as r e l e a s ed on b a i l. T he a p p e l l a nt p l e a d ed g u i l t y. He a g r e ed w i th a s t a t e m e nt of f a c ts m a de by the p u b l ic p r o s e c u t o r. It d i s c l o s ed t h at the a p p e l l a nt and c o m p l a i n a nt a r r i v ed in t he s a me v e h i c le in H l o t s e. T h ey had s o me d r i nk t o g e t h e r, p u r c h a s ed by the c o m p l a i n a n t. W h i le the c o m p l a i n a nt e n t e r ed the b u t c h e r y, the a p p e l l a nt r e m a i n ed o u t s i d e, c a r r y i ng the c o m p l a i n a n t 's T h ey t h en p r o c e e d ed to a b u t c h e r y. bag l a d i e s' d r e s s. w h i ch c o n t a i n ed i n t er alia M 1 O O5 in c a sh and a On e m e r g i ng f r om the b u t c h e ry -2- T he c o m p l a i n a nt s e a r c h ed t he c o m p l a i n a nt f o u nd t h at t he a p p e l l a nt had " d i s a p p e a r e d " . ( t he w o rd u s ed by t he p r o s e c u t o r) w i th the bag and c o n t e n t s. f or and u l t i m a t e ly f o u nd t he a p p e l l a nt in a h o u se T he c o m p l a i n a nt t o ok the a p p e l l a nt to in H l o t s e. t he n e a r by C h a r ge O f f i c e, w h e re u p on b e i ng s e a r c h ed by t he p o l i c e, t he a p p e l l a nt w as f o u nd to p o s s e ss M 1 2 0. p o l i ce to a p l a ce w h e re t he c o m p l a i n a n t 's bag w as f o u n d. A f u r t h er a m o u nt of M 7 7 . 75 w as f o u nd in s h o es b e l o n g i ng to a p p e l l a n t, in a h o u se w h e re a p p e l l a n t , w o r k e d. f o u n d, but t he s t a t e m e nt of f a c ts d o es not i n d i c a te w h e re it w as f o u n d. T he f o l l o w i ng d ay t he a p p e l l a nt led t he T he p a r t i c u l ar d r e ss w as a l so L e a r n ed C o u n s el for ' t he a p p e l l a nt M r. T h e re of f a c ts did R a m o d i b e li s u b m i ts t h at t he s t a t e m e nt not i n d i c a te t h at t he c o m p l a i n a nt had not a l l o w ed the- a p p e l l a nt to r e t a in p o s s e s s i on of h is g o o d s, and so t he p l ea of g u i l ty w as e q u i v o c a l. is no d o u bt t h at t he s t a t e m e nt of f a c ts c o u ld h a ve b e en far m o re e x p l i c i t, and h e re I c o n s i d er t he l e a r n ed t r i al M a g i s t r a te s h o u ld h a ve r e q u e s t ed the p u b l ic p r o s e c u t or to c l a r i fy t he i s s u e s. the s t a t e m e nt of f a c ts d i s l o s ed t h at t he a p p e l l a nt h a d " d i s a p p e a r e d" and t h at t he c o m p l a i n a nt s e a r c h ed for h im and t h e r e a f t er t o ok him to t he C h a r ge O f f i c e. W h i le the f i n d i ng of c a sh u p on the. a p p e l l a nt h i d d en in a p a ir of s h o e s, is n ot c o n c l u s i v e, t he f a ct t h at he led t he p o l i ce to w h e re the bag w as f o u n d, c l e a r ly i n d i c a t es g u i l ty k n o w l e d ge on h is p a rt I see it t h e r e f o r e, t he o n ly r e a s o n a b le i n f e r e n ce f l o w i ng f r om t he s t a t e m e nt of f a c ts 1s t h at t he As and e v en N o n e t h e l e s s, -3- a p p e l l a nt t o ok a w ay t he c o m p l a i n a n t 's p r o p e r ty w i t h o ut his p e r m i s s i on w i th t he i n t e nt of p e r m a n e n t ly d e p r i v i ng the owner thereof. T he p l ea w as t h e r e f o re u n e q u i v o c a l. t h e r e f o re d i s m i s s e d. T he a p p e al a g a i n st c o n v i c t i on is In p a s s i n g, I o b s e r ve t h at t he l e a r n ed t r i al In a ny e v e n t, s e c t i on 2 40 of t he 1 h a ve s a id a n u m b er of t i m es t h at a M a g i s t r a te s u b s e q u e n t ly w r o te a j u d g m e nt in t he m a t t e r, m a g i s t r a te is s i m p ly f u n c t us o f f i c io w h en t he t r i al h as c o n c l u d e d. C r i m i n al P r o c e d u re & E v i d e n ce A ct o b v i a t es t he n e c e s s i ty for a ny r e a s o n ed j u d g m e nt as s u c h, o n ce an a c c u s ed u p on a p l ea of g u i l ty h as a g r e ed w i th t he s t a t e m e nt T he l e a r n ed t r i al M a g i s t r a t e 's j u d g m e nt of f a c t s. h as t h e r e f o re p l a y ed no p a rt in t h is a p p e a l. has h is " R e p ly to A p p e l l a n t 's G r o u n ds of A p p e a l ". T he C o u rt of f i r st i n s t a n ce is n ot c a l l ed u p on to c o n s i d e r, m u ch l e ss to r e p ly to any g r o u n ds of a p p e al a g a i n st its d e c i s i o n s. Q u i te c l e a r ly it is u n s e e m ly for a ny j u d i c i al o f f i c er to in e f f e ct seek to j u s t i fy h is d e c i s i o n s, u n l e ss c a l l ed u p on to do so by t he a p p e l l a te C o u r t. is s i m p ly f u n c t us o f f i c io in t he m a t t e r. M r. R a m o d i b e li h as h o w e v er d r a wn my a t t e n t i on to a s t a t e m e nt by t he l e a r n ed t r i al M a g i s t r a t e, n a m e ly t h at A g a i n, t he C o u rt of f i r st i n s t a n ce N e i t h er "I h a ve k n o wn of no C o u rt w h i ch w o u ld g i ve r e a s o ns w hy it s e n t e n c es t he a c c u s e d ." T h at is an u n f o r t u n a te m i s d i r e c t i o n. t he t r i te t h at a C o u rt m u st g i ve its r e a s o n s: a u t h o r i ty is l e g i o n. To fail to g i ve r e a s o n s, as w as It is N o n e t h e l e ss a r e l a t i v e ly l a r ge the c a se h e r e, is a m i s d i r e c t i on by w ay of o m i s s i on and t h is C o u rt is t h e r e f o re at l a r ge in t he m a t t er of s e n t e n c e. T he a p p e l l a nt w as a f i r st o f f e n d er w ho p l e a d ed g u i l t y. a m o u nt of m o n ey w as i n v o l v e d. T he l e a r n ed t r i al M a g i s t r a te o r d e r ed t he r e t u rn of t he m o n ey f o u n d, to the c o m p l a i n a n t, w ho n o n e t h e l e ss w as at a loss of a p p r o x i m a te M 8 0 0. a g a i n st s e n t e n ce is a l l o w e d. T he s e n t e n ce of t he C o u rt b e l ow is set a s i de and t h e re is s u b s t i t u t ed t h e r e f or a s e n t e n ce of o ne y e a r 's i m p r i s o n m e n t. I o r d er h o w e v er t h at t he o p e r a t i on of t he s e n t e n ce be' s u s p e n d ed for a p e r i od of o ne y e ar f r om t he d a te of t h is o r d e r, on c o n d i t i on t h at w i t h in t h at p e r i od the a p p e l l a nt p ay as c o m p e n s a t i on to t he c o m p l a i n a nt the sum of M 8 0 0. In all t he c i r c u m s t a n c es t he appeal D e l i v e r ed at M a s e ru T h is 24th D ay of F e b r u a r y, 1 9 8 9. B. P. CULLINAN CHIEF JUSTICE