R v Seotlo (CRI/T 80 of 89) [1991] LSCA 62 (11 June 1991)

C R I / T / 8 0 / 89 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 L I T H U N YA S E O T LO J U D G M E NT H E LD AT B U T HA B U T HE 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 11th d ay of J u n e, 1991 I am i n f o r m ed by t he C r o wn t h at t h ey a re w i t h- d r a w i ng t he c h a r ge in t he 2nd c o u n t, and s i n ce of c o u r se y ou had p l e a d ed to t h at y ou a re e n t i t l ed to a v e r d i c t. T he C o u rt t h e r e f o re a c q u i ts y ou on t h at s e c o nd c o u n t. T he C o u rt f i n ds y ou g u i l ty on y o ur o wn p l ea of C u l p a b le H o m i c i de in t he 1st c o u n t. With d ue r e s p e ct to my a s s e s s o rs - t h ey p r o p o se a v e ry v e ry l e n i e nt s e n t e n ce - I d o n 't a g r ee w i th t h e m. I h a ve h e a rd w h at h as b e en s a id in m i t i g a t i on of t h is s e n t e n c e. H o w e v er m u ch and it w as a b ly a r g u ed f or y ou and an a t t e m pt w as m a de to p e r s u a de t h is C o u rt in y o ur f a v o u r. I am n ot t r y i ng to say t h at t he C o u rt h as n ot t a k en i n to a c c o u nt w h at h as b e en said by y o ur C o u n s e l. But I c a n n ot i g n o re t h at a d e f e n c e l e ss c h i ld w ho w as i n n o c e nt s u f f e r ed d e a th e v en w i th t he a c c o m p a n y i ng w o r ds w h i ch I am n ot g o i ng to h o ld a g a i n st y ou b e c a u se y ou d i d n 't go i n to t he b ox to e x p l a in t h e m. B ut w h at is u p p er m o st in my m i nd on all t h at h as b e en s a id and d o ne is t h at an i n n o c e nt c h il / of - 2- of t e n d er y e a rs of f i ve h as b e en m a de a v i c t im of a f a m i ly f e u d. A m e r it w as m a de and r i g h t ly so I s u p p o se of t he f a ct t h at y ou s p a r ed t he o t h er w i t n e s s es t he a g o ny of u n d e r g o i ng c r o s s - e x a m i n a t i on a nd e m p h a s is w as laid on t he f a ct t h at t h o se w i t n e s s es m i g ht h a p p en to be t he r e l a t i v es of t h is c h i l d. I d o n 't k n ow w ho c o u ld bo c l o s er as a r e l a t i ve to t h at c h i ld t h an h er m o t h er w ho c a me a nd g a ve e v i d e n ce h e r e. I d o n 't h o ld it a g a i n st y ou t h at s he w as c r o s s - e x a m i n ed b ut I h a ve s e en t he s t i ck t h at it is s a id w as u s ed to m o l e st t h at c h i ld - a t r ee in o t h er w o r ds s o m e t h i ng w h i ch m e a s u r es in l e n g th a p p r o x i m a t e ly t wo m e t e rs t he t h i n n er e nd of w h i ch is a b o ut t wo i n c h es d i a m e t e r, and t he t h i c k er end of w h i ch is a b o ut t h r ee and h a lf i n c h es d i a m e t e r. To me t h at t e n ds to a g g r a v a te t h is o f f e n ce i n s t e ad of m i t i g a t i ng i t. I h a ve t a k en into 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 r t. Y ou a re g o i ng to b e n e f it to s o me e x t e nt b e c a u se y ou a l t e r ed y o ur p l ea to t h at of g u i l ty to C u l p a b le H o m i c i d e. F or t h at t he c r e d it y ou g et is of a v a i l i ng y o u r s e lf of c o u n s el of p r u d e n c e. T he l e a st s e n t e n ce I c an i m p o se is t h at y ou s e r ve e i g ht y e a r s' i m p r i s o n m e nt t e rm in d e f a u lt of a f i ne of F o ur T h o u s a nd M a l o ti ( M 4 0 0 0 - 0 0) h a lf of w h i ch is g o i ng to be s u s p e n d ed f or t h r ee y e a rs on c o n d i t i on t h at d u r i ng t he p a s s a ge of s u ch p e r i od y ou a re n ot c o n v i c t ed of a 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 o n. J U D GE 11th J u n e, 1991 F or C r o wn : M r. M o k h o bo F or D e f e n ce : M r. F o sa