R v Makoko (CRI/T 42 of 90) [1991] LSCA 61 (11 June 1991)

C R I / T / 4 2 / 90 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 of : R E X v S E L E MO N K E J A NE M A K O KO H E LD AT B U T HA B U T HE J U D G M E NT 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 t he 1 1 th d ay of J u n e, 1 9 91 T he C o u rt h as h e a rd an o u t l i ne of t he f a c ts w h i ch r e l a te to t he a c c i d e nt t h at o c c u r r ed as a r e s u lt of w h i ch t he d e c e a s ed d i e d. T he C o u rt t h e r e f o re f i n ds y ou g u i l ty of C u l p a b le H o m i c i de on y o ur o wn p l e a. T he f a c ts a re as a b ly p ut f o r w a rd by t he C r o wn C o u n s e l; n a m e l y, t h at on t he d ay in q u e s t i on y ou h ad s e en a n u m b er of b o ys n e ar a h i ll a nd t h at t he d e c e a s ed w as a m o ng t h e se b o y s, a nd t h at w h en y ou w e nt w h e re y ou h ad y ou p o l es y ou f o u nd t he p o l es m i s s i n g, a nd t h at t he f o l l o w i ng d ay w h en y ou t r i ed to t r a ce w h e re t h e se c o u ld h a ve b e en t a k en to y ou t r a c ed t h em to t h e se b o y s. It w as f u r t h er s a id t h at y ou w e re a c c o m p a n i ed by a f r i e nd in t he p r o c e ss of t r y i ng to f i nd y o ur p o l e s, a nd t h at y ou h ad s et o ut c a r r y i ng y o ur s h o t g un w h i ch is u s ed f or k i l l i ng b i r ds - y ou w e re a l so c a r r y i ng a p a ir of h a n d c u f f s. I am t o ld a ls t h at y o ur f r i e nd a s k ed y ou to s h o ot h im a b u c k. Y ou d u ly c o c k ed t he g un b ut f or s o me r e a s on or o t h er y ou d i d n 't / s h o o t. - 2 - s h o o t. N or did y ou a f t e r w a r ds p ut y o ur gun at s a f e t y. F u r t h er t h at w h i le t he d e c e a s e d, no d o u b t, u n d er a r r e st by y ou and y o ur f r i e nd w as in f r o nt of y ou w h en y ou t r i ed to f i d d le w i th t he gun a s h ot w as f i r ed and t he d e c e a s ed was t he v i c t i m. The C r o wn f or t h e se r e a s o ns p r o p e r l y, in my v i e w, a c c e p t ed y o ur p l ea of C u l p a b le H o m i c i de on t he b a s is t h at y ou w e re n e g l i g e nt in n ot h a v i ng p l a c ed y o ur g un at s a f e ty c a t c h. As I h a ve a l r e a dy s t a t ed y ou are f o u nd g u i l ty of C u l p a b le H o m i c i de on y o ur o wn p l e a. I h a ve j u st h e a rd t he p l ea in m i t i g a t i on e x p e r t ly b r o u g ht f o r w a rd by y o ur C o u n s el w ho s a id t h at y ou a re f o r ty t wo ( 4 2) y e a rs of a g e; and t h at y ou a re a f i r st o f f e n d e r. It h as b e en u r g ed t h at I s h o u ld pay d ue r e g a rd to t he f a ct t h at d e s p i te t he f a ct t h at y ou a re no l o n g er a y o u ng m an y ou h a ve had a c l e an l i f e, and t h at t he s h o o t i ng of t h is u n f o r t u n a te m an w as p u r e ly a c c i d e n t al as o u t l i n ed in t he e v i d e n c e, and t h at y ou a s s i s t ed t he p o l i ce in t he i n v e s t i g a t i on of t he c r i me by r e p o r t i ng y o u r s e lf and c o n t i n u i ng t he i n v e s t i g a t i on to its c o n c l u s i o n. I h a ve a l so b e en a s k ed to t a ke into a c c o u nt t h at t he law a c c o r d i ng to c u s t om w o u ld r e q u i re y ou to r a i se t he h e ad of t he d e c e a s e d. For all t h e se r e a s o ns w h i ch are e n t i r e ly a c c e p t a b le to me I h a ve a l so t a k en i n to a c c o u nt t he f a ct t h at y ou d i d n 't w a s te t he t i me of t h is C o u rt in t h at y ou p l e a d ed g u i l ty - and t h at i t s e lf is a s u re sign of r e m o r s e f u l n e s s. W e l l, it d o e s n 't s e em t h at y ou m a ke m u ch by w ay of i n c o me but y o ur b l a n k et s h o ws t h at it is q u i te e x p e n s i v e. T he s e n t e n ce t h en t h at I c an i m p o se on y ou a c c o u nt b e i ng t a k en of y o ur a n n u al i n c o me is t h at y ou w i ll p ay O ne T h o u s a nd M a l o ti ( M 1 0 0 0 . 0 0) or go to j a il f or t wo / y e a rs - 3 - y e a rs h a lf of t h is s e n t e n ce is s u s p e n d ed for t wo y e a rs on c o n d i t i on t h at f or t he d u r a t i on of t he p e r i od of t he s u s p e n s i on y ou a re not c o n v i c t ed of a c r i me i n v o l v i ng a s s a u lt or v i o l e n ce to a p e r s o n. J U D GE 11th J u n e, 1991 For C r o wn : M r. M o k h o bo For D e f e n ce : M i ss Tau