Duo have been sentenced 5 years with hard labour for assaulting man
MELODY MUPETA
Kitwe
TWO men of Kitwe have been sentenced to five years’ imprisonment with hard labour for assaulting a man who has since lost sight on one eye.
Webster Kapungwe and Alex During trial, the victim Mwamba were initially charged with aggravated robbery, before the court reduced the charge to assault occasioning bodily harm due to insufficient evidence in the first charge.
Particulars of the offence are that the two, whilst acting with others unknown, assaulted Aaron Sinkala on March 12, 2024.testified that on the fateful day, he was given a K500 by his mother to buy relish at Chamboli market.
As he was heading to the market, Sinkala met a group of five men and he recognised one of the men in the group, as he had differed with him sometime back during a funeral.The victim greeted the man in question who questioned him if he remembered him.
It was heard that the five men then started beating Sinkala, before they stole the money and a mobile phone worth K1,500.
The court also heard that one of the convicts picked a stone and hit Sinkala’s eyes, which bled. The victim returned home and he was later rushed to the hospital, where he was admitted for three days.
It was heard that the medical staff later revealed to the victim that his left eye could no longer function due to the damage it suffered.
The court heard that the matter was later reported to the police, which led to the arrest of the two convicts while the others could not be found.
In delivering judgment, Kitwe High Court Judge Enias Chulu said the prosecuting team failed to present evidence to link the convicts to aggravated robbery.
Judge Chulu said the convicts could, however, not be set free as there is evidence of the assault on the victim.“The two convicts have not made any effort to reconcile with the victim, which shows that they are not remorseful of their actions,” he said.Judge Chulu sentenced the two to five years’imprisonment with hard labour…https://enews.daily-mail.co.zm/welcome/home
