Frederick Mulenga v People (Appeal No. 171 of 1985) [1986] ZMSC 29 (26 January 1986)

IN' THE SUPREME' COURT OF~ZAMBIA , . . . HOLDEN AT LUSAKA (Criminal,, Jurisdiction) ... . • ' "· ~- ,. , . ' - i ;. CORAM! Gardner, ~- . : ',.; ;, . - ·;.:.. .. ,,,.;.1,~-~ .... i1~~~,j;N:,:;,'<';,,.~ .. ~~~q'. .... :t{-. .. 111~4~_ ...... The ait~llant was charged with aggr.-vi1;te9,;f91;),RerYii)' the particulars of .the charge being that .h..~/:/Ll.ln0,~~.~:,1~~n't~~ft~'1~f • 1985, at Ndola, jointly and whilst acting togetl!er w!t!1 o:ther persons unknown, did steal a motor vehicle registration. No • .tll.6-32Q2 v.al ~,3d at K4, 500, from Dav 1 son Malama, and, at the time of such stealing did use or threat11n to use violence •. -- :.,.· : .. ,.·. .. .,'.· After hearing the evidence 'in •ttie•case(C'•the "learned ,tNial . .. ,-:_·:•,'. ·:,;(· :: ,--~ ·--~: ·-·~···· -~- . commissioner found that there wrs:., insuff~ifr~.' ~~L~~n.c~'~o~support the charge of aggravated robber,y_ t>ut ,suf:ficient .. evidence:.to.:.~up11i:irt . a charge of theft of motor vehicle. The appellant was therefore convicted of the offence of theft of'motor vehicl~and sentenced to fifteen years imprisonment-with hard labourtr~ Therappellant : now appeals against sentence only. . ., · . · ·.. ··. . . . .. . ···~ . ,..., j, ·' :, "-~ ~ i:1 •ii:.''''.,,..,._.., • .-... ~"" t-·••,..,'_W-#.·"' 11:·ot• e)lf,.; ..,..__~ •"' , • When imposing the sent'eilce the le~r.ned·'.t.r(alllcotnmissi~ner made no comment as to why he was imposfn1{th(Lmaxtmimf!f.grLtti!~?E. ~/offence •••••••• • •a_-,·,, ,. ... ' - ' " . ' . . • ,·. ,•. 11;1 . . .,.-~,.,._. .,, •,_ ·, "'1 . . . '• ,,,/ ,. , '.. ! • • ~ ; ., ';l :,. ·~,: . · offence. ·. Having regard to, :he fact-that t~: char{!e was· ~edut~·.,j'.f I " j;:\;~;1{ ignored when considering the sentence. The evidence . ' from aggravated robbery the facts w!l,ich might .·have suppol'ted.:s.utj'i ff:.';,·•'. charge must be '. ,.· l' · ·, 't:. . did not disclose· 1'anythlng to, take thts·c~se out of the br.,a · spectrum of cases covered by the sentenc~ for the theft of onr, •,. ''"·' ·. ~.-.-~;· · .. ,.i.>:f: motor vehicle. This court has ailj.llY. S regarded theft of a motor vehicle even in ·f. C~Se, qf a .fir.s,i offen(ler as ls'the Situation ,: •,/':\/ i·'•)\:'r_~_;;ntt;.-r-;,:::•· here. as one of. th$lest serious cases of· •:theft, and,· regardles_s· :; ··· · of the date of tills off~~~t,,which was bef'?rathe i:ecent leg!~lat1011 : imposing a statutory minimum for Jheft of motor vehicle for· a. Jirst,,,.,, .. ,.: offender, the offence in th1S·case merited a compar,t1~~. J:Yt•s,e11~~~\ sentence. ,:>..:, .. 1.,. JJ;r-: 1 :·.\· •. ::.,,,:.;A.' · , . ? ,,.,,, · ! . , ' . , . . · .! '. _ _.:._, r.:/.~-;r.; . . · ,••,•~• -~· ., : . •:. ' ·, r, • • , ' <'' • .... ,,.,:: •·, , • I •,~, , , •• : rd)> • 1 \"...~l (.t( • ~• JH,,1,"°':, , f.,, • •-~~ 1':i-,.1,.. • t ol · The appeal against sentence ts'•!allowed,· ~l set aside t~e sentence of imprisonment for fifteen yeal'.'s,and,sttbstltute a sentente of· five years imprisonment with hard labour with.effect from 24th of April, 1983. ' ' · · . ' .. :-' ._. .. ; / ">:;: · ' ( , \ - ' : --~------··· .~.... ) 1: n .n ~tirtr-i ~" ·I' ~ . ' . . "• ' .:....~•··--~-~·~, ... ( . . . ,,:.,,--.... ,_ ,,_ .. --~•-,1"'~:--··~--~7~·:":-· ...... ~ ...... ~~~-.. · ·: ·, ~ · .,-.::::,: ' ... -~·-•-··•·.···· ·.-',·--.< .. :',.-·,:,.· .·· .. ~.:.'.~:.\,,.'·.' ...... . . ~ .. .. . ,·- - ·~ - -- - .... ; . ,. • . ,._ ·-•-··"'·•:"--··•-.;.·>f"."-'',..,.,.-.- - ...... ,,;.,.,,__,_~---. ..._,... - i , , • • f ,1 ... ";.,,.,1.. ..... ,..-r, .. , •Jht-1.(~d, .. I,,, Jt:: J ~ •,-:,',,;.,>.,::(i i:·"1•,, ".' • -11~1•3~0'.'!!J('."t' 0$ ~ri ...... ......... •·•·· .. , .......... :..-.•.. -.; .......... : •... ""··~ "l>•:~J. I!~:. '.'' • · ◄•· ~l•.,",:!,l\o">_'t1._ . ·, '-'~ J ·~:,., f; ,,i~ . ,, ... •~. ·:,.o13 r•:.;,:;,t_, '••••• 'i": 1 rd l r.f0~r..u1r.-~~li_"'! :r~~~i!'1 '• <,•~ ,/ C . • .• : •• .-- • ( '-.,,''•. /J,I,.. ~ • • . ~nf.!· . •• '. '. ,: ; ;: , ., ;, . h:ACTINQ DEPU'ff;Ciil£F "JUSTICE ; .1 ·;,·. ,,·'.:.·' ·/:·11 ".!st :ict!.nq :~:.::;{JJ\.!U:h~ t~'.:i~_t; 1 ot;"·:-rff. \L.d · ·tG~ai_ o n~~tut v~;,;l\~A~~- t\';nt::rt1~-nt.19n ¥ki;. ~~:( q;?:04 :: ·ri"1v).:B·.~.t~ M~~l.::mn ... ~:.nd f :· r;i th~· t.ir~'!t.·(if suci."J· _ ::. ·. :;f"~ ,•, .:.' "•;•,:•-,,,-;(,!;"I I,,. ,_,_,.,_,, .. ,Ii , .. ~~!., . J •J•,.'\ ti-~, [{l""l\ .,._,...,_ '1(-Ii"j.'J.,'\\)<'\.'r·-j:'.\ ,,-:;-,_J. .. ,,·~,.v,~'.~, ' /. Jtr•, '1r,1µri:,,•.nme::it with haa1_ l,,bour,. i'ftt~faj,;:wl l1mt.: _ ...... •·••·••·•:••·····--················· . . . . . . . . C . •. ,1(.lltJ' ?~!i)H:iiL,:, ;1n..-:,frtr .. t ~-~'-nt,~nco fJfHV.. ,,. . ' i ' '