R v Tseki (CRI/T 19 of 90) [1991] LSCA 65 (13 June 1991)

C R I / T / 1 9 / 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 B A T E LI T S E KI 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 13th d ay of June, T he a c c u s ed w as c h a r g ed w i th t he M u r d er of one T e b o ho M p h e ng w ho s u c c u m b ed to t he s t ab w o u nd i n f l i c t ed on h is c h e st on t he f i f th of M a r c h , 1 9 89 at or hear M a n k o a n e ng in t he L e r i be d i s t r i c t. T he d e f e n ce a d m i t t ed t he e n t i re p r e p a r a t o ry e x a m i n a t i on d e p o s i t i o n s. T he C r o wn a c c e p t ed t he a d m i s s i o ns a nd a c c o r d i n g ly t he C r o wn c l o s ed its c a s e. It is w o r th m e n t i o n i ng t h at t he p r e p a r a t o ry e x a m i n a t i on d e p o s i t i o ns w e re m a de p a rt of t h is r e c o rd by an o r d er a d o p t i ng t h em as s u ch w i t h o ut n e c e s s a r i ly h a v i ng b e en r e ad i n to t he m a c h i n e. T he a c c u s ed g a ve e v i d e n ce in h is d e f e n ce p a rt of w h i ch is c o n s i s t e nt w i th t h at of t he C r o w n. On t h at f a t e f ul d ay t he a c c u s ed c a me l a t er to the scene a c c o m p a n i ed by a f r i e nd of h i s; and h is f r i e nd w as / c o n f r o n t ed - 2 - c o n f r o n t ed by t he d e c e a s ed w i th h a v i ng n ot p a id up t he b i ll he h ad b e en s a d d l ed w i th a f t er t he a c c u s e d 's f r i e n d 's d og h ad b i t t en t he d e c e a s e d. one of t he p a r t i es w ho w e re in t h e re c a l l ed t he c o m b a t i ng f e l l o ws o u t s i de a nd t he a c c u s ed r e m a i n ed s i t t i ng in t he h o u s e. A f t er a s h o rt w h i le t he d e c e a s ed c a me i n to t he h o u s e, m a de a b e e - l i ne f or t he a c c u s ed a nd d u r i ng a s h o rt e x c h a n ge of w o r ds t he a c c u s ed s a ys t h at t he d e c e a s ed a s k ed w h e t h er he is l i ke h is o t h er f r i e nd t o o. W h en t he a c c u s ed w as b e w i l d e r ed by t h i s, t he d e c e a s ed d e l i v e r ed a k n i fe b l ow t o w a r ds t he u p p er b o dy of t he a c c u s ed w ho d o d g e d. T he a c c u s ed p u s h ed h im b a c k, a nd t he d e c e a s ed w as s t a n d i ng a c r o ss t he o n ly p a th t h at w o u ld h a ve a l l o w ed t he a c c u s ed to m o ve o u t. T he d e c e a s ed is s a id to h a ve b e en h o l d i ng a k n i fe at t he r e a d y, a nd t he a c c u s ed f e e l i ng t h at h is l i fe w as e n d a n g e r ed a v o i d ed t he s e c o nd b l ow a nd s t a b b ed the d e c e a s ed o n ce on t he c h e s t. As to t he r e a s on w hy t he a c c u s ed d id n ot a v a il h i m s e lf of m e a ns of m o v i ng o ut of t he h o u s e, it a p p e a rs to me t h at t h e re w as no w ay he c o u ld m o ve o ut b e c a u se t he d e c e a s ed w as o b s t r u c t i ng h is p a t h; a nd t he w ay t he f u r n i t u re w as c r a m m ed in t h at p l a ce it a l so c o u l d n 't a f f o rd h im e n o u gh m o v e m e nt to e f f e ct h is e x it w i t h o ut e x p o s i ng h is b a ck to t he d e c e a s ed w ho w as o n ly t wo p a c es a w ay w h en he w as p u s h ed b a ck by t he a c c u s e d. T he C r o wn witnesses s h o w ed t h at t h ey s aw t he a c c u s ed h o l d i ng t h is b l a ck k n i f e. T he a c c u s ed d o e s n 't d e ny t h at he w as h o l d i ng t h at b l a ck k n i f e. He s a ys t h at h is is t he b r o wn one t h o u g h. It is s i g n i f i c a nt t h at t he b l a ck k n i fe is a f l i ck t y pe a nd one t h at d o e s n 't w a s te t i me b e f o re b e i ng m a de r e a dy to s t ab or u s e. T he a c c u s ed on t he o t h er h a nd h ad to u se h is t e e th to o p en h is b r o wn o k a pi k n i fe in o r d er to q u e ll t he a t t a ck t h at he s a ys he a p p r e h e n d ed f r om t he d e c e a s e d. T he k n i fe t h at t he d e c e a s ed w as h o l d i ng d r o p p ed a f t er he h ad b e en s t a b b ed a nd f o u nd i ts w ay in a / p o ol - 3 - p o ol of b l o od f l o w i ng f r om t he d e c e a s e d. T he a c c u s e d, f e a r i ng t h at t h is k n i fe m i g ht be s p i r i t ed a w ay by s o m e o ne w h o se i n t e r e s ts p r o b a b ly a re a d v e r se to h is p i c k ed it up a nd h e ld it t o g e t h er w i th h is o wn a nd t o ok t h em to t he p o l i ce s t a t i o n. T h is a c c o u n ts f or t he b l o od t h at is f o u nd on t he b l a ck k n i f e. It a l so a c c o u n ts f or t he f a ct t h at t he C r o wn witnesses at one s t a ge s aw h im h o l d i ng t he b l a ck k n i f e. T he a c c u s ed a d m i t t ed the a d m i t t ed e v i d e n ce t h at t he k n i fe b e l o n g ed to h i m, i n c l u d i ng t h at t he b l a ck k n i fe b e l o n g ed to h i m. T h us h is e x p l a n a t i on as to h ow t he C r o wn witnesses m i g ht h a ve a s s o c i a t ed t h is k n i fe w i th h im is a c c e p t a b le to m e. T h e re is no h i s t o ry of p r i or a n i m o s i ty b e t w e en t he a c c u s ed a nd t he d e c e a s e d. T he e v i d e n ce t h at h as b e en a d d u c ed f r om t he C r o w n 's s i de is t h at t he d e c e a s ed w as e x t r e m e ly d r u n k, h e n ce h is b e i ng r e p r i m a n d ed by t he o w n er of t he d og a b o ut w hy t he d e c e a s ed s h o u ld c o n f r o nt h im a b o ut t he d og b i te in p u b l i c, a nd c o n s i s t e nt w i th t he d e c e a s e d 's a t t i t u de on t h at d ay he n ow f o u nd t h at t he n e xt t a r g et m u st be t he m an w ho c a me a l o ng w i th t he o w n er of t he d og a nd on a c c o u nt m e r e ly of t h at s h o u ld be c o n f r o n t ed w i th t h at q u e s t i on of t he d og b i te a g a in - at l e a st i m p l i e d ly in t he s e n se t h at t he q u e s t i on p ut to t he a c c u s ed w as w h e t h er he t oo is l i ke h is f r i e n d. It s h o u ld be b o r ne in m i nd t h at t he q u e s t i on w h i ch h ad b e en p ut to t he a c c u s e d 's f r i e nd w as t he one c o n f r o n t i ng h im w i th t he w o u nd t h at w as n ot p a id f or a l b e it s u s t a i n ed by t he d e c e a s ed f r om t he o w n e r 's d o g. T he C o u rt g a i n ed a d i s t i n ct f e e l i ng t h at t he a c c u s ed w as u n d u ly a t t a c k ed by t he d e c e a s e d. T he q u e s t i on of t h is b l a ck k n i fe w h i ch d o es n ot b e l o ng to t he a c c u s ed s e e ms to s u p p o rt t he v e r s i on t h at t he k n i fe b e l o n g ed to t he d e c e a s e d. T he f a ct t h at it is n ot s h o wn w h en it w as f l i c k ed o p en b ut t h at w h en c o l l e c t ed it w as a l r e a dy o p en s h o ws t h at s o m e o ne m u st h a ve o p e n ed i t. It a l so s u p p o r ts t he a c c u s e d 's v e r s i on t h at he w as p l a c ed in d a n g er of h is l i fe by an a t t a c k er w ho h e ld t h at k n i f e. In t he c i r c u m- s t a n c es it w o u ld be i d le to d e ny t h at t h e re w as e x i s t e n ce of / s e l f- - 4 - s e l f - d e f e n c e. T he s e c o nd q u e s t i on is w h e t h e r, in f a c t, if t h e re w as s u ch s e l f - d e f e n c e, it w as r e a s o n a b l e. I t h i nk t he a n s w er to t h at q u e s t i on is t h at it m u st h a ve b e en r e a s o n a b le b e c a u se I c a n 't e n v i s a ge an a t t e m pt to q u e ll an a t t a ck by a k n i fe w i th a k n i fe b e i ng o t h e r w i se u n r e a s o n a b l e. N o w, if t he a t t a ck w as r e a s o n a b le I d o n 't t h i nk t he C o u rt n e ed c o n s i d er w h e t h er t he u se of t he w e a p on t h at c a u s ed t he d e a th in t he c i r c u m s t a n c es w as e x c e s s i ve m o d e r a t e ly or i m m o d e r a t e l y, m o re e s p e c i a l ly r e g a rd b e i ng had to t he f a ct t h at o n ly o ne w o u nd w as i n f l i c t ed in t he p r o c e s s, and t h at t he law r e q u i r es t h at t he m e a ns u s ed m u st be c o n s o n a nt w i th t he d a n g er a p p r e h e n d e d, and f u r t h er t h at w h en t he a p p r e h e n d ed d a n g er had s u b s i d ed the c o u n t er - a t t a c k er m u st s t op and i n d i c a t i o ns s h ow t he a c c u s ed s t o p p ed as t h e re w as no f u r t h er u se m a de of t he o n ly w e a p on he h a d. C o n s i s t e n t ly w i th w h at s h o u ld r e d o u nd to t he a c c u s e d 's c r e d it is t h at he w e nt s t r a i g ht to t he p o l i ce C h a r ge O f f i ce i m m e d i a t e ly a f t er his e n c o u n t er w i th t he d e c e a s e d. T he a c c u s ed w as a c c o m p a n i ed t h e re by p e o p le w ho had c o me to t he f e a s t. He h a n d ed o v er b o th t he b l a ck k n i fe and t he b r o wn k n i f e. N o w h e re is it s u g g e s t ed he c o l l e c t ed t he b l a ck k n i fe a l o ng t he way w i th t he h o pe t h at it s h o u ld s e r ve as a red h e r r i ng a c r o ss the t r a il and t h us i n t e n d ed to b u t t r e ss his s e l f - d e f e n ce v e r s i o n. W i t n e s s es had s e en him h o l d i ng the b l a ck k n i fe i m m e d i a t e ly b e f o re his d e p a r t u re to t he C h a r ge O f f i c e. His m a n n er of h o l d i ng it w as s u ch t h at it o b s t r u c t ed t he b r o wn o ne f r om v i e w. T h e re is p l e n ty of a u t h o r i t i es g u a r d i ng a g a i n st J u d i c i al o f f i c e rs a d o p t i ng an a r m ed chair c r i t i c 's p o s t u re in m a t t e rs of t h is k i nd and t h at r e g a rd m u st be had to t he h e at of t he m o m e nt and t h at J u d i c i al o f f i c e rs m u st p ut t h e m s e l v es in t he b o o ts of t he a c c u s e d. It's t oo bad if the a c c u s e d 's b o o ts a re e i t h er t oo big or t oo s m a l l. The a c c u s ed is f o u nd n ot g u i l ty t h e r e f o re and is d i s c h a r g e d. For C r o wm : M r . M o k h o bo For D e f e n c e : A d v . G . N . M o f o lo JUDGE 13th J u n e, 1991