Moeketsi v R (CRI/A 18 of 87) [1989] LSCA 29 (17 March 1989)

C R I / A / 1 8 / 87 IN T HE HIGH 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: N A PO M O E K E T SI v REX Before the Honourable the Chief Justice Mr. Justice B. P. Cullinan on the 17th day of March, 1989. For the C r o wn For the A p p e l l a n t: : M r. P. M o k h o b o, C r o wn Counsel M r. N. L e s u t hu J U D G M E NT The a p p e l l a nt was c o n v i c t e d, with a c o - a c c u s e d, by the S u b o r d i n a te C o u rt for the M o k h o t l o ng d i s t r i ct of t h e ft of 23 s h e e p. He a p p e a ls a g a i n st c o n v i c t i on o n l y. The c o m p l a i n a nt t e s t i f i ed that 87 sheep w e re s t o l en from h i m. He found 23 of them in the pound at M o k h o t l o ng w h e re the p o l i ce had placed t h e m, after they had been found in joint p o s s e s s i on of the a p p e l l a nt and his c o - a c c u s e d. - 2- T he c o m p l a i n a nt i d e n t i f i ed t he s h e ep by t he d i s t i n c t i ve e a r m a r ks u s ed by h i m. He m a i n t a i n ed h o w e v er t h at he c o u ld i d e n t i fy h is s h e ep e v en w i t h o ut s u ch e a r m a r k s: t h ey s t o od o ut f r om all t he o t h er s h e ep in t he p o u n d, as t h ey w e re M e r i no s h e e p, w i th l o ng w o ol w h i ch w as c l e a n er t h an t he w o ol of t he o t h er s h e e p. T he a p p e l l a nt m a i n t a i n ed t h at t he s h e ep f o u nd in h is p o s s e s s i on w e re h is p r o p e r ty a nd t h at t he e a r m a r ks on t h em w e re t he e a r m a r ks u s ed by h i m, t h at i s, he h ad g i v en t he s h e ep to a f i v e - y e a r - o ld n e p h ew a nd h ad g i v en t he s h e ep n ew d i s t i n c t i ve e a r m a r ks in h is n e p h e w 's n a m e: t h is w as d o ne in p r e s e n ce of t he C h i e f 's B u g l e , he s a i d. T he C h i ef h o w e v er t e s t i f i ed t h at t he n ew e a r m a r ks d i f f e r ed f r om t h o se c o n t a i n ed in h is ( t he C h i e f ' s) r e g i s t er f or t he a p p e l l a nt a nd t h at t h ey h ad n ot b e en r e p o r t ed to h im by t he B u g l e. I n d e e d, he s a id t h at t he n ew e a r m a r ks s h o u ld f i r st h a ve b e en m a de on o ne a n i m al in h is p r e s e n c e, w h e r e u p on s u ch e a r m a r ks w o u ld a l so be r e g i s t e r ed in t he C h i e f 's r e g i s t e r: t h is p r o c e d u re h ad n ot b e en f o l l o w e d, he s a i d. F u r t h e r, a p o l i ce o f f i c er t e s t i f i ed t h at t he a p p e l l a nt w as in p o s s e s s i on of a r e g i s t er of e a r m a r ks u s ed by h is c o - v i l l a g e r s. It t r a n s p i r ed t h at a f t er t he s h e ep h ad b e en s e i z ed by t he p o l i ce f r om h i m , he a d d ed t he n a me of h is n e p h e w, e r a s i ng i t, a nd t h en r e p e a t i ng it u n d er a l a t er e n t r y, r e g i s t e r i ng t he n ew e a r m a r k s. H is s i s t e r- /... - 3- i n - l aw (the m o t h er of h is n e p h e w) t e s t i f i ed h o w e v er t h at t he a p p e l l a nt had n e v er g i v en any s h e ep to her s o n. T he l e a r n ed C o u n s el f or t he a p p e l l a nt M r. L e s u t hu p o i n ts to a p a s s a ge in the j u d g m e nt w h e re t he l e a r n ed t r i al M a g i s t r a te t o ok j u d i c i al n o t i ce of a m a t t er a p p a r e n t ly w i t h in his own p e r s o n al k n o w l e d g e, t h at i s, t h at " it is t r ue s h e ep f r om t he l o w l a n d s, w h e re t he e a r th is r ed or l i g ht in c o l o u r, h a ve a r e d d i s h - w h i te w o o l, w h e r e as t h o se in t he m o u n t a in a r ea h a ve d a rk w o o l ." T h at of c o u r se w as a m i s d i r e c t i o n, as t h e re w as no e x p e rt e v i d e n ce as to s u ch b e f o re t he l e a r n ed t r i al M a g i s t r a te and the m a t t er c o u ld h a r d ly be said to n o t o r i o u s. N o n e t h e l e ss t h e re w as t he c o m p l a i n a n t 's e v i d e n ce t h at his s h e ep w e re d i s t i n c t i v e, as t h ey w e re M e r i no s h e e p, w h i ch w as not c o n t e s t e d: at no s t a ge did t he a p p e l l a nt e v er r e f er to t he s h e ep as M e r i no s h e e p. T he c o m p l a i n a nt w as q u i te p o s i t i ve in h is i d e n t i f i c a t i o n. In s u p p o rt t h e r e of t h e re is t he - 4- e v i d e n ce in t he n a t u re of s u c c e s s i ve c o i n c i d e n c e s, n a m e ly t he f a ct t h at t he a p p e l l a nt u s ed n ew e a r m a r ks e x a c t ly s i m i l ar to t h o se u s ed by t he c o m p l a i n a n t, t h at he c h o se to do so in r e s p e ct of a f i v e - y e a r - o ld n e p h e w, t h at t he n o r m al p r o c e d u r es w e re n ot a d o p t ed in d o i ng s o, t h at he m a de an a p p r o p r i a te e n t ry on a r e g i s t er m a i n t a i n ed by him a f t er t he s h e ep had b e en s e i z ed by t he p o l i c e. On t he i s s ue of c r e d i b i l i ty t he l e a r n ed t r i al M a g i s t r a te w as f u l ly j u s t i f i ed in a c c e p t i ng t he e v i d e n ce of t he n e p h e w 's m o t h er t h at her son had n ot b e en g i v en a ny s h e ep by t he a p p e l l a n t. In all t he c i r c u m s t a n c es t h e r e f o re I am s a t i s f i ed t h at had t he l e a r n ed t r i al M a g i s t r a te c o r r e c t ly d i r e c t ed h i m s e l f, he w o u ld i n e v i t a b ly h a ve c o n v i c t ed t he a p p e l l a n t. T he a p p e al a g a i n st c o n v i c t i on is t h e r e f o re d i s m i s s e d. D e l i v e r ed at M a s e ru t h is 17th D ay of M a r c h, 1 9 8 9. B. P. C U L L I N AN C H I E F . J U S T I CE