R v Muso (CRI/T 70 of 88) [1990] LSCA 43 (12 February 1990)

C R I / T / 7 0 / 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 of : R EX v TUBATSI 'MUSO 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 B . K. M o l ai on t he 1 2 th d ay of F e b r u a r y, 1 9 9 0. H e ld at B u t h a - B u t h e, T h is is a s u m m a ry t r i al in w h i ch |the a c c u s ed is c h a r g ed w i th a d o u b le m u r d e r, it b e i ng a l l e g ed t h at on or a b o ut 1 2 th D e c e m b e r, 1 9 87 a nd at or n e ar Ha S e s h o te in t he d i s t r i ct of L e r i be he u n l a w f u l ly a nd i n t e n t i o n a l ly k i l l ed ' M a m o r e t e le M e l i da ' M u so a nd S a m s on R a l i k e l e li ' M u s o. T he p r o b l em I e x p e r i e n c ed in t h is c a se w as t h at no P r e p a r a t o ry E x a m i n a t i on h ad b e en h e l d. T he j u d g e 's f i le c o n t a i n ed o n ly t he P s y c h i a t r i s t 's r e p o rt i n d i c a t i ng t h at t he a c c u s ed is m e n t a l ly d e r a n g ed a nd i n c a p a b le of f o l l o w i ng t he c o u rt p r o c e e d i n g s. F or t h is r e a s on I o r d e r ed t h at e v i d e n ce be a d d u c ed so as to e n l i g h t en t he c o u rt w h e t h er or n ot t he a c c u s ed h ad in f a ct c o m m i t t ed t he o f f e n ce a g a i n st w h i ch he s t o od c h a r g e d. 2/ B r i e f l y, t he ........ -2- B r i e f l y, t he e v i d e n ce w as to t he e f f e ct t h at p r i or to 1 2 th D e c e m b e r, 1 9 87 t he a c c u s e d 's w i fe w e nt to h er m a i d en h o m e. T he a c c u s ed r e m a i n ed w i th t he t wo d e c e a s ed p e r s o ns w ho w e re h is o wn c h i l d r en a g ed 7 a nd 5 y e a r s. In t he e a r ly m o r n i ng of t he d ay in q u e s t i o n, 1 2 th D e c e m b e r. 1 9 8 7, t he b o d i es of t he d e c e a s ed w e re f o u nd o u t s i de t he a c c u s e d 's h o u s e. B o th d e c e a s ed h ad t h e ir t h r o a ts c ut a nd t he c o r p s es w e re c o v e r ed w i th b l a n k e ts b e l o n g i ng to t he a c c u s ed p e r s o n. W h en he w as a s k ed w h at h ad h a p p e n ed to h is c h i l d r e n, t he a c c u s ed k e pt on s a y i ng "I s ay t h e se c h i l d r en s h o u ld be b u r r i e d ". T he a c c u s ed w as a r r e s t ed a nd s u b s e q u e n t ly c h a r g ed as a f o r e m e n t i o n e d. A l t h o u gh t h e re is no d i r e ct e v i d e n ce t h at t he a c c u s ed k i l l ed t he d e c e a s ed p e r s o n s, t h e re i s, in my v i e w, a m p le c i r c u m s t a n t i al e v i d e n ce i n d i c a t i ng t h at t he a c c u s ed d id s o, He w as t he o n ly p e r s on s t a y i ng w i th t he l i t t le c h i l d r en in t he h o u s e; t he c h i l d r en w e re f o u nd w i th t h e ir t h r o a ts c ut j u st o u t s i de t he a c c u s e d 's h o u s e. a nd t h e ir d e ad b o d i es were c o v e r ed w i th t he a c c u s e d 's o wn b l a n k e t s. I n d e e d, t he a c c u s ed n e v er r e p o r t ed t he d e a th of t he c h i l d r en to a n y b o dy a nd w h en he w as q u e s t i o n ed a b o ut it he m e r e ly c o n t e n d ed h i m s e lf w i th "I s ay t he c h i l d r en s h o u ld be b u r r i e d ." As I h a ve p o i n t ed o ut e a r l i e r, t h e re is a m e d i c a l. r e p o rt in t he f i le i n d i c a t i ng t h at t he a c c u s ed is i n s a n e. He c o u ld n o t, t h e r e f o r e, p l e ad to t he c h a r ge or u n d e r s t a nd t he p r o c e e d i n g s. I n d e e d ,I h a ve b e en l o o k i ng at h im w h i le he w as s i t t i ng in t he c o u r t. A ll t he t i me he w as l o o k i ng up in t he s k y. He d id n ot s e em to h a ve t he l e a st i n t e r e st 3/ in w h at -3- in w h at w as g o i ng on b e f o re t he c o u r t. I e n t i r e ly a g r e ed w i th t he m e d i c al r e p o rt t h at b e c a u se of i n s a n i ty t he a c c u s ed c o u ld n ot u n d e r s t a nd t he c o u rt p r o c e e d i n g s. T h e re w as no n e e d, t h e r e f o r e, to a sk h im to p l e ad to t he c h a r ge a g a i n st w h i ch he s t o od c h a r g ed b e f o re t he c o u r t. S e c t i on 1 7 2 ( 1) of 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 1981 p r o v i d es t h at w h e re it is c l e ar t h at t he a c c u s ed c a n n ot u n d e r s t a nd t he p r o c e e d i n g s, the c o u rt s h a ll e n q u i re into t he q u e s t i on of h is i n s a n i t y. As it h as a l r e a dy b e en p o i n t ed o u t, in t h is c a se t h e re is a m e d i c al r e p o rt i n d i c a t i ng t h at t he a c c u s ed h as a l r e a dy b e en o b s e r v ed by a m e n t al d o c t or a nd a c c o r d i n g to t he r e p o r t, t he a c c u s ed is i n s a n e. T h e re is. t h e r e f o r e, no n e ed to m a ke an i n q u i ry on t he q u e s t i on of the a c c u s e d 's sanity. H a v i ng s a t i s f i ed m y s e lf t h at t he a c c u s ed is an i n s a ne p e r s on S . 1 7 2 ( 2) 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 c t, 1981 e n j o i ns me to c o m m it h im to p r i s on p e n d i ng t he s i g n i f i c a t i on of h is M a j e s t y, t he K i n g. On t he a u t h o r i ty of t he p r o v i s i on of S . 1 7 2 ( 2) of the Criminal P r o c e d u re a nd E v i d e n ce A ct 1 9 8 1, I a c c o r d i n g ly c o m m it t he a c c u s ed to p r i s on p e n d i ng t he s i g n i f i c a t i on of h is M a j e s t y, t he K i n g. My a s s e s s p rs a g r e e. B . K. M O L AI J U D GE 12th F e b r u a r y, 1 9 9 0. F or C r o wn : M r. M o k h o bo For D e f e n ce : M r. K l a s s.