R v Khutlisi (CRI/S 16 of 88) [1989] LSCA 45 (28 April 1989)

CRI/S/16/88 IN T HE H I GH C O U RT OF L E S O T HO In t he m a t t er b e t w e e n: REX v P H O M O LO K H U T L I SI B e f o re t he H o n o u r a b le t he C h i ef J u s t i ce M r. Justice...... B. P. C u l l i n an on t he 28th d ay of A p r i l, 1 9 8 9. ..... For t he 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 For t he A c c u s ed : In P e r s on P r o s e c u t i o ns J U D G M E NT C a s e s : r e f e r r ed t o: ( 1) R v B i l l am & Ors. ( C . A .) 9 85 ( 1 9 8 6) A ll E . R. (2) Rv J a n k ie & A n o r. ( 2) C R I / R E V / 75 & 8 1 / 1 9 8 8 ( U n r e p o r t e d) The a c c u s ed w as c o n v i c t ed of r a pe by t he S u b o r d i n a te C o u rt of t he F i r st C l a ss f or t he M a s e ru D i s t r i c t. A c c u s ed p l e a d ed g u i l ty and a g r e ed w i th a s t a t e m e nt of f a c ts w h i ch d i s c l o s ed a p r i ma f a c ie c a s e. T he p l ea w as p l a i n ly u n e q u i v o c a l. T he c o n v i c t i on is a c c o r d i n g ly c o n f i r m e d. - 2- T he c a se w as t r i ed on 3 1 st M a y, 1 9 8 8, b e f o re t he a d v e nt of t he R e v i s i on of P e n a l t i es o r d er 1 9 8 8. T h at O r d er is i n a p p l i c a b l e. At t h at s t a ge 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 r i s d i c t i on in t he m a t t er of p u n i s h m e nt w as t wo y e a r s' i m p r i s o n m e n t. He c o m m i t t ed t he a c c u s ed to t he H i gh C o u rt f or s e n t e n c e, r e c o r d i ng very f u ll r e a s o ns f or d o i ng s o. T he r a pe w as an a p p a l l i ng o n e. T he l e a r n ed t r i al M a g i s t r a te o b s e r v ed t h at t he r a pe w as "a d i s g r a ce ... to t he c o m m u n i ty in g e n e r a l ". I am i n c l i n ed to a g r e e. T he a c c u s ed is a g ed b ut 19 y e a rs of a g e. T he c o m p l a i n a n t, h o w e v er w as an o ld l a d y, a g ed 78 y e a r s. T he r a pe w as r e p e a t ed in c i r c u m s t a n c es g r o s s ly d e g r a d i ng to t he o ld l a d y. T he a c c u s ed p l e a d ed g u i l ty a nd t h e r e by s p a r ed t he c o m p l a i n a nt t he t r a u ma of a t r i a l: " t he s t a t e m e nt of f a c ts h o w e v er e s t a b l i s h ed t h at he h ad b e en c a u g ht f l a g r a n te d e l i c to by t he o ld l a d y 's s o n. T he a c c u s ed is a f i r st o f f e n d e r , b ut as L o rd L a ne C . J. o b s e r v ed in t he E n g l i sh c a se of R v B i l l am & O r s. ( 1) at p . 9 88 ( s ee R v J a n k ie & A n o r. ( 2) at p . 4 ), w h e re t he o f f e n ce of r a pe is c o n c e r n e d, " p r e v i o us g o od c h a r a c t er is o n ly of m i n or i m p o r t a n c e ". In all t he c i r c u m s t a n c es I s e n t e n ce t he a c c u s ed to S ix ( 6) y e a r s' i m p r i s o n m e nt w i th e f f e ct f r om 3 1 st M a y, 1 9 8 8, t he - 3- d a te of t he c o n v i c t i on 1n t he C o u rt b e l o w. D e l i v e r ed on T he 2 8 th D ay of A p r i l, 1 9 8 9. ( B. P. C U L L I N A N) C H I EF J U S T I CE