R v Khoabane (CRI/T 62 of 91) [1991] LSCA 161 (10 December 1991)

CRI/T/62/91 IN THE HIGH COURT OF LESOTHO In the matter of : R EX v LIPHOLO KHOABANE J U D G M E NT HELD AT BUTHA-BUTHE D e l i v e r ed by t he H o n. M r. J u s t i ce M . L. L e h o h la on the 10th day of December ,1991 It is s t a t ed t h at t he a c c u s ed at t he t i me of t he o f f e n ce w as a g ed 1 4; w h i ch w o u ld m a ke h im 15 t h is y e a r. T he s u b m i s s i on m a de by t he C r o wn b a s i ng i t s e lf on t he p r e p a r a t o ry e x a m i n a t i on r e c o rd s h o ws t h at t he d e c e a s ed K e m a k e t se S e k o b o to w as a h e r d b oy a g ed 13 at t he t i me a nd t h at he w as on t he d ay in q u e s t i o n, t h at is 2 6 th J u ly 1 9 9 0, l a st s e en 1n t he c o m p a ny of t he a c c u s e d. It 1s c o m m on c a u se t h at b o th t he d e c e a s ed a nd t he a c c u s ed w e re h e r d b o y s. At t he t i me w h en it w as e x p e c t ed t h at t he d e c e a s ed s h o u ld a l so r e t u rn f r om t he v e ld he f a i l ed to do s o; a s e a r ch w as m o u n t ed f or h im a nd 1t led to t he d i s c o v e ry of h is d e ad b o dy 1n t he v e ld at a p l a ce w h i ch w as n ot f ar a w ay f r om w h e re he w as l a st s e en w i th t he a c c u s e d. T he a c c u s ed n a t u r a l ly h ad b e en c o n f r o n t ed w i th t he questions concerning the w h e r e a b o u ts of t he m an w h om he w as last s e en w i th b ut he d e n i ed / a ny - 2- a ny a s s o c i a t i on w i th t he d e c e a s ed at a p l a ce w h e re it w as a l l e g ed t h ey h ad l a st b e en s e en t o g e t h e r. B ut b e c a u se of t he s t r e n g th of t he s u s p i c i on c e n t e r ed on t he a c c u s e d, he w as a r r e s t e d. W h i le u n d er m o re i n t e r r o g a t i on he m a de a s t a t e m e nt to t he p o l i ce w h i ch he r e p e a t ed b e f o re t he M a g i s t r a te - a nd it is i m p o r t a nt to n o te t h at t he s t a t e m e nt he m a de w as m a de v o l u n t a r i ly a nd f r e e l y. In it he s t a t ed t h at he h ad h ad a q u a r r el w i th t he d e c e a s ed o v er t he d e c e a s e d 's p a r e n t s' c a t t le t r e s p a s s i ng on t he a c c u s e d 's p a r e n t s' f i e l d. A nd w h en he t a x ed t he d e c e a s ed a b o ut t h is t r e s p a s s, t he l a t t er r e a c t ed a n g r i ly a nd m a de to d e l i v er a s t i ck b l ow w h i ch t he a c c u s ed w a r d ed o f f. T he d e c e a s ed m a de a f u r t h er a t t a ck w i th a k n i fe w h i ch t he a c c u s ed w r e s t ed f r om h is g r ip a nd s t a b b ed t he d e c e a s ed w i th it t h r ee t i m es in t he a b d o m i n al a r e a. T he a c c u s ed a l so h it t he d e c e a s ed on t he h e ad w i th a s t i ck a nd l e ft h im t h e r e. T he d e c e a s ed h ad by t h en a l r e a dy d i e d. T he m e d i c al e v i d e n ce c o n s i s ts a l m o st on e v e ry d e t a il w i th t he n u m b er of i n j u r i es d i s c o v e r ed on t he d e c e a s e d, a nd t he n a t u re of t he i n j u r i es a re in c o n f o r m i ty w i th t he i n s t r u m e n ts a l l e g e d ly u s e d, n a m e l y, t h r ee s t ab w o u n ds on t he a b d o m en a r e a, a nd f r a c t u r ed s k u l l, s h o w i ng t h at a k n i fe a nd a s t i ck h ad b e en u s ed to i n f l i ct t he i n j u r i e s. T he d o c t or p ut t he c a u se of d e a th as i n j u ry to t he h e ad a nd c o m b i n a t i on of t h is a nd i n t e r n al h a e m o r r h a g e. T he P o s t m o r t em R e p o rt w as h a n d ed in m a r k ed E x h i b it " A" a nd t he a c c u s e d 's c o n f e s s i on w as h a n d ed in a nd m a r k ed E x h i b it " B ". / In - 3- In m i t i g a t i on t he a c c u s e d 's C o u n s e l, M r. M a t h a f e n g, s et a g r e at s t o re by t he f a ct t h at t he a c c u s ed p l e a d ed g u i l ty to C u l p a b le H o m i c i de w h i ch is an i n d i c a t i on t h at he is r e m o r s e f u l. I a c c e pt t h is s u b m i s s i on a nd h o pe t h at it s h o u ld c o me o ut in t he w a sh l a t e r. It w as a l so s t a t ed t h at t he d e c e a s ed w as an i n i t i al a g g r e s s or a nd t h is is b o r ne o ut in e v i d e n c e; a nd t he f i e ld t h at h ad b e en t r e s p a s s ed on by t he d e c e a s e d 's p a r e n t s' c a t t le w as t he a c c u s e d 's p a r e n t s' f i e l d. I am t o ld t h at t he a c c u s ed w as o n ly 14 y e a rs of a ge w h en t he o f f e n ce w as c o m m i t t e d. It s e e ms to be c o m m on c a u se b e t w e en t he C r o wn a nd t he D e f e n ce - w e ll it b e i ng c o m m on c a u se t h at t he a c c u s ed w as 14 d e s p i te h is l o o ks - o ne c a n 't q u a r r el w i th t h at - it w as p l e a d ed t h at t he a c c u s ed be g i v en s u s p e n d ed s e n t e n ce b e c a u se of t he f a c t o rs o u t l i n ed a b o v e. I n d e ed y e s, an i n d i v i d u al a c c u s ed p e r s on d e s e r v es of i n d i v i d u al t r e a t m e n t, b ut t he C o u rt w o u ld be f a l l i ng in its d u ty if a b l a n k et s o rt of a t t i t u de is c a st on a ll a c c u s ed g e n e r a l ly b e c a u se of t he r e a s o ns o u t l i n ed a b o v e. R e g a rd b e i ng h ad to t he f a ct t h at h u m an l i fe is S a c r e d, - b ut I am n ot in a n y w ay t r y i ng to r e n e ge on my p r o m i se t h at t he a c c u s e d 's a t t i t u de b e f o re t h is C o u rt is g o i ng to g a in i ts o wn r e w a r d s. In t he c i r c u m s t a n c e s, t h e r e f o r e, t he m o st l e n i e nt s e n t e n ce t he C o u rt f e e ls it c an i m p o se a nd c an m e et t he j u s t i ce of t he c a se is t h at t he a c c u s ed be g i v en t wo y e a r s' i m p r i s o n m e nt t he w h o le of w h i ch is s u s p e n d ed f or t wo y e a rs on c o n d i t i on / t h at - 4- t h at he is n ot c o n v i c t ed of t he c r i me i n v o l v i ng v i o l e n ce to a p e r s on c o m m i t t ed d u r i ng t he p e r i od of t he s u s p e n s i o n. J U D GE 1 0 th D e c e m b e r, 1 9 91 F or C r o wn : M r. T h e t s a ne F or D e f e n c e: M r. M a t h a f e ng