R v Moseso (CRI/S 8 of 90) [1991] LSCA 49 (17 May 1991)

C R I / S / 8 / 90 IN THE HIGH COURT OF LESOTHO In the matter of : R E X v T A M A TI M O S E SO J U D G M E N T 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 7 th d ay of M a y. 1 9 91 T he M a g i s t r a te w ho h e a rd y o ur c a se f e lt t h at - f r om t he n a t u re of t he o f f e n c es outlined. in t he c o u n ts a c c o u nt a l so b e i ng t a k en of t he f a ct t h at t h e re is a l so a p r e v i o us c o n v i c t i on i n v o l v i ng R a pe as in f a ct in t h e se i n s t a nt c o u n ts R a pe is a v e ry c o m m on f a c t or in a ll of t h em e x c e pt of c o u r se c o u nt t h r ee (3) - y ou s h o u ld be c o m m i t t ed f or s e n t e n ce by t h is C o u r t. I h a ve h e a rd a r g u m e n ts a nd s u b m i s s i o ns by y o ur c o u n s el and I do s y m p a t h i se w i th h im b e c a u se on a c c o u nt of t he s o rt of i n d e f e n s i b le c o n d u ct t h at y ou m a n i f e s t ed in all t h e se it w as v e ry d i f f i c u lt to a d v a n ce a n y t h i ng in y o ur f a v o u r. As a r e s u lt all t h at r e m a i n ed to be c o n s i d e r ed w as t he q u e s t i on of s e n t e n c e. I am s a t i s f i ed in t he s a me w ay as t he M a g i s t r a te w ho t r i ed t he c a se t h at y ou c o m m i t t ed t h e se o f f e n c e s , a nd t he o n ly t h i ng r e a l ly to c o n s i d er is w h at t y pe of s e n t e n ce w i ll m e et t h is t y pe of c o n d u c t. i m p a s s i o n ed p l ea to t h is C o u rt in y o ur f a v o ur t h at r a t h er t h an y ou b e i ng g i v en a h a r sh s e n t e n ce y ou s h o u ld be g i v en Y o ur c o u n s el h as m a de an / t he - 2- t he s e n t e n ce w h i ch a c c o r d i ng to t he R e v i s i on of P e n a l t i es O r d er of 1 9 88 p r e s c r i b es f i ve ( 5) y e a rs as t he m i n i m um a nd t h at h is s u b m i s s i on is b a s ed on t he f a ct t h at in 1 9 87 w h en y ou w e re c o n v i c t ed of a s i m i l ar o f f e n ce t he l e g i s l a t u re or t he l a w m a k er h ad n ot p r e s c r i b ed a m i n i m um s e n t e n ce f or t h is t y pe of o f f e n c e; a nd in t h at is i m p l i e d, if I u n d e r s t o od h im w e l l, t he f a ct t h at w h en y ou r e p e a t ed t he o f f e n c es in 1 9 89 t h en y ou w e re b a n k i ng on g e t t i ng t he s ix m o n t hs t h at y ou h ad r e c e i v ed in 1 9 8 7. To c o n s i d er y o ur m a t t er I w o u ld h a ve to h a ve r e f e r e n ce ( u n r e p o r t e d) C R I / S / 9 / 89 - R ex v. P e e te M a r o ba a nd A n o t h er to at p a ge 6 - I w i ll q u o te in e x t e n so t he c o n s i d e r a t i o ns w h i ch go i n to t he C o u r t 's t h i n k i ng as f ar as R a pe is c o n c e r n e d. I M u ch t he s a me as w as s t a t ed in w i ll s t a rt on p a ge f i v e ( 5 ). t he c a se j u st r e f e r r ed to n o w, y o ur m a t t er s e e ms to i n v o l ve r e g u l a r i ty in t he c o m m i s s i on of t h is t y pe of o f f e n c e. c a se C R I / S / 1 7 / 88 - R ex v. T s e l i so M a t h a bo B u re C h ao - t he C o u rt h ad o b s e r v ed t h at In t he " it s e e ms t h e r e f o re to me c l e ar t h at t he a c c u s ed is n ot o n ly a f r e q u e nt c u s t o m er in t he p r o v i n ce of c r i me b ut a l so a v e ry b o ld o n e ". T he C o u rt w e nt f u r t h er to s ay - t h is c o u rt o b s e r v ed t h at a nd m a de r e f e r e n ce to a n o t h er c a se C a sh M. D l a m i ni a nd A n o t h er v. T he K i ng ( u n r e p o r t ed a nd u n n u m b e r e d) at p a ge 4 w h e re M a i s e ls P. in a g r e e i ng w i th t he m a in j u d g m e nt by I s a a cs J . A. s a id at p a ge 4 " T he f a c ts in t h is p r e s e nt c a se r e a l ly s p e ak f or t h e m s e l v es t h e re is no d o u bt t h at t he a p p e l l a nt h as s y s t e m a t i c a l ly e m b a r k ed on a c o u r se of h o u s e b r e a k i n g, t h e ft a nd r o b b e ry I c an a l m o st s ay t h at t h is h as b e en h is b u s i n e ss a nd t h at b u s i n e ss h as to s t o p . I e n t i r e ly t h at he s h o u ld be d e c l a r ed an h a b i t u al c r i m i n al a nd g i v en an i n d e t e r m i n a te s e n t e n c e ." a g r ee In t r e a t i ng of w h at c o n s i d e r a t i o ns a re to be t a k en a c c o u nt in a c a se s i m i l ar to t he p r e s e nt I s a a cs J . A. s a id at p a ge 2 i n to / " In - 3- In t he c a se in S o u th A f r i c an A p p e al "In t he c a s e, in t he S o u th A f r i c an c o u r ts it w as s u g g e s t ed t h at b e f o re i m p o s i ng i n d e t e r m i n a te s e n t e n ce t he a p p e l l a nt s h o u ld h a ve b e en w a r n ed of t he d a n g er t h at he m i g ht be c o n v i c t ed of s u ch and it w as a l so s u g g e s t ed t h at it w as o n ly c a s es in t he H i gh C o u rt w h i ch s h o u ld be t a k en i n to a c c o u n t. C o u r ts t he f a c ts w e re v e ry m u ch d i f f e r e nt f r om t h o se in t he p r e s e nt c a s e, and I do n ot t h i nk t h at t he l e a r n ed J u d g es of S o u th A f r i c an C o u rt of A p p e al i n t e n d ed to lay it d o wn as a g e n e r al p r i n c i p le of law t h at an a c c u s ed s h o u ld a l w a ys be w a r n ed f or an i n d e t e r m i n a te s e n t e n ce b e f o re b e i ng s e n t e n c ed to s u c h. A f r i c an A p p e al C o u rt C o u rt a re of v e ry g r e at p e r s u a s i ve v a l ue and t h is C o u rt w i ll a l w a ys t a ke t he o p i n i on of t he J u d g es of t he S o u th A f r i c an c o u rt of A p p e al w i th t he g r e a t e st r e s p e c t. Of c o u r se if t h e re i s : c o n f l i ct b e t w e en t he A p p e al C o u rt of S o u th A f r i ca and t h is C o u rt of A p p e a l, it is t h is C o u rt of A p p e al w h i ch m u st be f o l l o w e d ". Of c o u r se c a s es in S o u th a l t h o u gh n ot b i n d i ng on t h is T he l e a r n ed I s a a cs J . A. p r o c e e d ed and e x t r a c t ed a p a s s a ge f r om a d e c i s i on by Mr. J u s t i c e ' S m it in t he S w a z i l a nd C o u rt of A p p e al as f o l l o ws : "I w i sh to s t r e ss h o w e v er t h at it is o n ly f a ir to an a c c u s ed w ho h as a r e c o rd of p r e v i o us c o n v i c t i o ns w h i ch q u a l i fy h im f or an i n d e t e r m i n a te s e n t e n ce t h at he s h o u ld be w a r n ed of t he d a n g er of b e i ng d e c l a r ed an h a b i t u al c r i m i n al and t he c o n s e q u e n c es t h e r e o f. in m o st c a s es t he a c c u s ed a re p r o b a b ly i g n o r a nt of t he d a n g e r ". T he c o u r ts s h o u ld r e m e m b er to do it as T h is C o u rt w e nt f u r t h er to c o n s i d er t he f o l l o w i ng p a s s a ge s t a t ed in t he s a me v e in a s, e x c e pt f or d i f f e r i ng s l i g h t ly f r o m, t he v i ew e x p r e s s ed by S m it J. A. w h e re M a i s e ls P. r e f e r r i ng to and r e l y i ng on R. vs S w a r ts 1 9 5 3 ( 4) SA 4 51 at 4 63 d e l i v e r ed by t he C h i ef J u s t i ce C e n t l i v r es s a id "I do n ot w i sh it to be i n f e r r ed t h at it ( m e a n i ng t he i n d e t e r m i n a te s e n t e n c e) s h o u ld n e v er be i m p o s ed w h e re an a c c u s ed h as n ot p r e v i o u s ly b e en c o n v i c t ed b e f o re t he S u p r e me C o u rt or w h en he had n ot p r e v i o u s ly b e en w a r n ed of t he i n d e t e r m i n a te s e n t e n c e. f a c t s ". E a ch c a se s h o u ld be d e c i d ed on its o wn S e c t i on 3 03 of t he C r i m i n al P r o c e d u re a nd E v i d e n ce A ct of 1981 i . e . N o. 9 of 1 9 8 1, s a ys " If - 4- " If a ny p e r s on h as b e en c o n v i c t ed on m o re t h an o ne o c c a s i on of a ny of t he o f f e n c es m e n t i o n ed in s c h e d u le 2 w h e t h er of s a me or d i f f e r e nt k i nd or w h e t h er in L e s o t ho or e l s e w h e r e, a nd t h at p e r s on t h e r e a f t er is c o n v i c t ed in L e s o t ho by t he H i gh C o u rt of t he o f f e n ce m e n t i o n ed in s c h e d u le 2, t h at p e r s on m ay be d e c l a r ed by t he H i gh C o u rt to be an h a b i t u al c r i m i n a l ". S c h e d u le 2 m a k es r e f e r e n ce to t he t y p es of p r e v i o us o f f e n c es w h i ch w o u ld w a r r a nt a m an b e i ng d e c l a r ed an h a b i t u al c r i m i n al if s u b s e q u e n t ly he is c o n v i c t ed of a ny c r i m e. a re R a p e, R o b b e r y , ' A s s a u l t, H o u s e b r e a k i ng or e n t e r i ng a ny p r e m i s es w i th i n t e nt to c o m m it an o f f e n ce T h e ft e i t h er at c o m m on law or as d e f i n ed by s t a t u t e. T h e se I h a ve a l r e a dy i n d i c a t ed t h at t he a c c u s ed c o m m i t t ed He h as a l so b e en c o n v i c t ed of t he c r i me of R a pe p r e v i o u s l y. A s s a u lt w i th i n t e nt to do G r i e v o us b o d i ly h a rm in t he p a s t. I t h e r e f o re h a ve no q u a l ms in f i n d i ng t h at t he a c c u s ed as t he M a g i s t r a te h as i n d i c a t ed d e s e r v es a s e n t e n ce w h i ch w i ll i n d i c a te to h im t h is t i me t h at t h is g a me t h at he is p l a y i ng is n ot w o r th t he c a n d l e. I t h e r e f o re h a ve no h e s i t a t i on in d e c l a r i ng h im an h a b i t u al c r i m i n al a nd t h us o r d e r i ng t h at he s e r ve an i n d e t e r m i n a te s e n t e n c e. J U D GE 17th M a y, 1 9 91 F or C r o wn : M r. L e n o no F or D e f e n c e: M r. P u t s o a ne