Singini v R (Criminal Appeal 17 of 1993) [1994] MWHCCiv 30 (25 April 1994)

; Ref. No. 'LL/C11/120/6/_?2 IN THE: HIGH COURT OF MALAWI LILONGWE DISTRICT REGISTRY CRIMINAL ,". PP!"::AL NO. 17 OF 1993 PENJANI SINGINI THE RSPUBLIC From the First Grade ~fagistrate' s court e.t Lilongwe Criminal Case Number 59 of 1992 CORAM: MTMIB09 J. For the Stat~~ 9 U.mbe, State /\dvoc;itc Appollant p;:•;3s0r;t9 ra;):r-esentet'1. by Fachi Law Clerk, Chi lO"lE~O i;inchinc Operat:,r·, i;\tu,~•-:1.uw:,:t.ha JUDG~IBN'l' ,J /; ' r-.• 1 I' 'i'hf..l aµpellar.t was 0.rrt1ignod before tho F:l.,:c: S.,'2J:1c 4.-~\~~~ _;·~, ~:-·:.[..:: 'r court at L:t lor~gv1H 0r1 :-:i cl1rrr·ge of ·th()ft by a. n,~1"son employee in the ::-ublic service cont:rnr·y to s. 278 ns read with s. 283 ( 1) of the Por:al Codo. H0 denied the che..rt:;e but was '10netheless convicted aftc.c· a full tr:i al and was sontencad -co tho ma.ndat:ory -tims of two ycnrs in prison with hi:u'd .labour. He hes appeal0<1 to this court ::irr.o.inst both c:c.•n~riction. and sentence. Th<;::• Etp::;cct:L is cleeu."'l_y 0c_;_ r,:.~3·:tGrs of f.~~ct ~~nd my c~ut,y in co11sitle1~i ~1t; it~ ~:::nerGf"or'e ~ is to :7.~c=-~hcnr 'l:110 ~noe ~ ns -the ;;,h1~ase in uncJers t0od in J.;:,w. I::-1 t'.1is respect I do ~iot thl,:\•; I GB'". do better thnn ::o refer to the ·~:_;:-·-:~-c:i tod ';P.r;,::, of P:2yca v. RGpt1blic 1971---72 r'\L:R M-:~l. 65, I tM.n.k I shou1.,, a1.sc mm1.t1on c.t this stage that the St::.ite clocc not 0ppose the "'tpperil. 2/ Let: me now refer to the ovic.once \:Jhich is not seriously in dispu ;;e except in somo imms.teria.l points. '1.'hc wl:wle episc,.1. G wns ns ,i:>.rratod by Mr. j·osenh Ml.i1ua (PWl), a hcspit':-1.l ~ttendant nt J{n1nuzt1 Central I--lcspi t.':1.l wl1er·e th.e appcll.2.r1t YJ,)i,,,k·'3c: ns a pl1n1"n1ac~7 nssistnn.t a job wi,ich invol vocl t~c dispe:1snt:~o:1 of c:,~·:.;gs to -,ariom: cepar.tmonts of the: hos.;,i trll. He !:old the CO'l"'t tL:lt o:-, thG r,interie.l day, J1.1rn:~ 13, 1992, he was on duty in the under-fi vo dapnrtncmt. He sr.\id thci.t at one st:::-::Je he '.!-rs; sent to tho phnrr:incy tc colJ.cct St boo:{ L~r e;hildren' s vnccinTci.c:-1 •,1hore he r.-i~t tho appcllm-1 t and ,1. Bku} him ~~o ~.ssist him fir.. J. the book. Ho did /lot fj_:,-,c :i. t. But b,~forc he L ... :ft, the 3l')pell2.n-': told nim to vr>.i t ··'1. little bit ar: he went to J.:::Jc-,k fCJ.' it ,:.,1.::wwhff;~co Mec.nwhilo, there W'."\S ,, closec car·ton. .1.1;_ t!1c roorn .'J.:1.d lie nsk-sd tr"13 v; i "'t;: .. 1cs;:; to locJ.: a:ftc-r it w'I1ilc '·1e was ""!J~s:,r. Tl-1en t!10:.'G crtmr; ~l pnt:ie;-·1t 1,1!10 A.::;~;:cC; fc,r nssistar1ce to tl1e eyo dcpar'trne;:.tt o }Io ie(! hirn th.ore an.d SlflCC tl1B :~ppollru,t had n.ot r3tux·ned he cnrr·ieci th~) c~:...r"-011 \lJi tt1 hirn e Ort ;-1is wn:; br!.t::k s• he mot was thnt he PW3 ~ n :nntron at the hos pi t"':.1., who r:.skcd him wir,t it C3~ricc.1.o He tolc1 l1cr te cl1ecl: for herself c:1.s h8 hiinself did not know :~t anc'. snid thot tho Hhen it wns oponect "':h0rc were bot: t18s of ferrous sulpha0:,,, 8.nd penicillin of ,'l tota:!. valuo of e:-'. J:•ton belo;.,gsd tc t;ho d::::r;:,eJ.l[mt. :;wo bottles of d1Loroqu5-•1e ,, two one hunc'.:ccd bottlon of "Benzyl11 1\li~3 o COG :~Ic·n.cc t!-.1.e chr;:.:~~-~e➔ \l/}:1icf1 Simply ryut the · . .,sscmc, pr~perJcy ~ 0f cau1-'sc ,Jislior:1.cstly o to bo the cf.'.so oven wh::,rc th~ of theft i.s the t:).kin~~ ..._,f qn0thor' s lmd thi.c must, th;_;:cefor.c, e1pr,e~cr chr~:r·e;o ii.;; brought unc°'.m' s. 283 ( 1) because tho 2.u~scc-t:ion me::x,ly crcc.tcm missing proporty w:-~s lnwfully in the tho '.&> 1. . L c0ntrol of· ~J10 r-./:cused i.1y virtt1e of a'1d he stole".). is i_t, tm2.ble unless, to of his 6r,1;;,~_,)y1:,ot1·i: in t:1c :)Ublie, <":Or?icc fr_ .. _.,r i.. t, bo \•;i 11 be presumi..~d to h.:r'1'e ho se.tisfiec. the ,;out't to th0 ,:;rn~tra~·y. ..,. .... .!..1., within beforG or therefore, thG fir-n to of theft cori.::,ido1"'in.z wh.cti1er the other se--:ti.0r1 (;:rer-.tinG tl10 ,_!efincd il'l s. 271 of th~ P0ri..3l Co(le, bi~C'uf;ht trn(,C!"' a. 283 ( 1) hdt the PUl, :rn PW3p t:1e tc, the his t:1"1G J"~~i1::L1 ir:. tho ro~·):~-l wi1or13 h(:: wor!-:ed o t.oci.t i ·1; ou ;_;~i ·.k whor8 ho rnct me,.tro:.1, who c..upoll..1nt, which wo.:--c cnntni;1ed so for how caxi. it ni:;costed him ~nd. 1"10 :i::s this thGft '")y thG in t!--t~~ \)ar·tc)~1? l. Ji th be when the n:,polln.,Yt cnitl th.c .:;et:.~·tc)n bolo11s0r1 ::icJr:iellnnl:: nf the drugs rcs,)::ct, I de not; thj_nk did no+ tr){0 nnothor·' s p:'opt)~ty 01' 1:1hc:t1 n0t]1fr'l[; mias~"L or nnd were tJtilJ. uncter i.:be u::nti.·ol his jcb ns e. ~>hn.r-r:1ncy nssi: .. =rta·1·,,:t:o to be bor-nc by the ovido'lc,:,. wns 1.ont., TttG CI'U~E w,Jre ~":hGre of the ::,.ppellAnt: by virtue of Theft c,mnot thcY-C:f()'_'e be sai0 3 The t.rinl cour·c 2.pp0ars to have bnsec~ the conviction ]_e_<'gcJ.y 0,1 whnt it cbserved to nF\vo bem... a failur;J on the part of the appellant to che.1. le,ig/J the confession stat0me,1t which he mad,j -to tho police when it observed thus: ?~:-re dic1 l'lOt: r·efutc t!1e in rny wn_y whatsoever. in which the st<J.tC>ment con~onts of his confession etatement f-IG die not even ::rttz!ck the mc.nJwr . ' >l; m1:1.,le volun"b:>.rily," vJit;h rcspoct? tho 0bservntion docs no-c n:oD(,ar to be quite CQrrect; question cnir1: crom~--m:ami 7.ation PW2 • the record.or of the statement• (id not for.co you by to '.ldE1.i t the c!1c1rge~i" Sl1rely ~· +J1is must have ':)een st,:.:;gestod on th•3 mi::mner in wh:.~h th.c (:~y.pollcrr;.t ,3 ... nd 9 therefore~ a.'1 ntt~cii: the? con.f'essior-1 v-1as recorded.. I+; must be obse-rvoc"l thrlt h:::=) is :~ l!:i;y r:1~11 w}10 1J1:0.s nt the trin.l. In any c0sc. I hnvo hclu. that theft at1c1 si t110r•c:;forc 9 th0.t 0'..7€:Yl if it .i~s confcssec.~~ he ccn.fessccl. -to havin.;z £:.ccG,teC t!1.2:t corrm1ited n.o offc:nce" wr:.·~ ~:he ccunse1 n0t ryrovcd t-:i0pol 1.ant to In tho 1:i.ght of the fore.t;oinr-'., I r:lJ0wed the :qppeAl in OJ)On cou::~-t on l'1n.1~ch 20 i !. G9Li-~·1t.l rx: ... £:~\YJ ti.1-:.:: P\Df. JCl.lr-.t:-1t vs irnmed:Lr?~te ::--01(.:Qse from prino;,. u"llcst1 he WF.3 heh\ for :1.;:iy lnwful renson. M.1WE in Chnmb0;:-•s thifi 25th dt>.y of Aqril 1994 et L-I Longwc. JUDGE