R v Borotho (CRI/T 86 of 89) [1991] LSCA 64 (12 June 1991)

CRI/T/86/89 IN THE HIGH COURT OF LESOTHO In the matter of : R EX v LETLAMA BOROTHO J U D G M E NT ELD AT BUTHA BUTHE Delivered by the Hon. Mr. Justice M. L. Lehohla on the 12th day of June, 1991 In this case the accused Letlama Borotho faces a Murder charge stating that on the 16th November 1988 at T. Y. reserve in the district of Berea he did unlawfully and intentionally kill Sebeo Lazarus Likotsi. The accused pleaded not guilty to this charge. It seems to be common cause that the officer policewoman Maile did issue a gun to the accused with serial numbers 6900223 as well as ammunition of twenty rounds. At the end of the day there were three bullets missing from this number. In his evidence the accused said when he went out on patrol he had occasion to fire a bullet out at Malimong whereas on the day of the events, i.e. on 16th November he had occasion to fire into the air the two other bullets. On that day-the police officers who gave evidence in this Court,namely, Moholoholo, Makhele and S/L Raleaka told the Court that-the accused did make an admission to them that he had killed or shot the deceased. With respect /to the to t he p o l i ce o f f i c e rs M o h o l o h o l o, M a k h e le and R a l e a ka t he p o l i ce w ho had g o ne on t he r a id u n d er t he c o m m a nd of M a k h e l e, m o u n t ed a r a id to c u rb t he p r a c t i ce of h o o l i g a ns w ho w e re p l a y i ng d i ce in the t o w n s h ip of T . Y. T h ey d e v i s ed a s c h e me w h e r e by t h ey d i v i d ed t h e m s e l v es i n to a g r o up of t wo w h en t h ey saw a g r o up w ho w e re e n g a g ed in a g a me of d i c e. T he s c h e me w as t h at o ne g r o up s h o u ld go to a l o w er s i de of w h e re t he d i ce w e re b e i ng p l a y ed w h i le t he m an in c h a r ge of t h is r a i d, n a m e l y, M a k h e le d e c i d ed t h at s e r g e a nt M a f a ta w ho w as a r m ed w i th a r i f le s h o u ld go to the u p p er s i d e; and the b e st w ay of c o m m u n i c a t i ng to t he s i de t h at had g o ne to t he l o w er s i de t h at it w as t i me to p o u n ce on t he h o o l i g a ns w as t h at S g t. M a f a ta s h o u ld f i re i n to t he a i r; and t h is he d u ly d i d. I m m e d i a t e ly t he f e l l o ws w ho w e re b u sy in a g a me of d i ce f l e d. It w as t he C r o wn e v i d e n ce t h at t he p o l i ce w ho w e re e n g a g ed in t h is r a id or o p e r a t i o n, w i th t he e x c e p t i on of M a f a ta w e re a r m ed w i th e i t h er w h i p s, or r i d i ng c r o ps or s o m e t h i ng of t he s o r t. T h is f i r st g un r e p o rt w as h e a rd by P o n to w ho l a t er h e a rd t wo o t h er g un r e p o r t s; a nd t h e se w e re in t u rn h e a rd by t he l a st C r o wn w i t n e ss M r. M a c h e li - t he d i f f e r e n ce h e re b e i ng t h at w h i le t he p o l i ce w ho w e re e n g a g ed in t h is r a id h e a rd a t o t al of t wo gun r e p o r ts t h at day t he c i v i l i an w i t n e s s es h e a rd a t o t al of t h r e e, t he a c c u s ed a t t e s ts to a t o t al of f i ve in a l l. 1 w as i m p r e s s ed w i th t he e v i d e n ce of P . W .6 w ho t o ld t h is C o u rt t h at he s aw t h is m an c o m i ng r u n n i ng - t h at is t he d e c e a s e d. A l o n g s i de t he d i r e c t i on w h e re t h is m an w as r u n n i ng to P. W.6 saw t he a c c u s ed w ho w as a r m ed w i th a he f o u nd t he d e c e a s ed w o u n d e d. A l t h o u gh t he d e c e a s ed w as h is s o n - i n - l aw he d i d n 't r e c o g n i se h im at t he t i me b e c a u se he w as a l r e a dy p l a c ed in a v e h i c le t r a n s p o r t i ng h im a p p a r e n t ly to h o s p i t a l. A l t h o u gh t he e v i d e n ce of P o n to f or all it w as / w o r th - - w o r th c o u ld be c r e d i b le o ne w o u ld n ot r e a d i ly a c c e pt it on a c c o u nt of c o n t r a d i c t i o ns a nd u n r e a l i b i l i ty a t t r i b u t ed to h is n e r v o us b r e ak d o wn or m e n t al d i s o r d er t h at he s u f f e r ed y e a rs a g o. T h is b e c a me p r e t ty m a n i f e st w h en he w as g i v i ng e v i d e n ce h e re e s p e c i a l ly u n d er c r o ss e x a m i n a t i o n. B ut t he c r e d it t h at c o u ld be g i v en to h im w as t h at he w as r e a dy to i n f o rm t he C o u rt t h at t h o se t h i n gs o c c u r r ed a l o ng t i me a g o, a nd t h at he is n ot in t he b e st m e n t al f r a m e. T he e v i d e n ce of t he p o l i ce o f f i c e rs as I h a ve s t a t ed w as to t he e f f e ct t h at t he a c c u s ed a d m i t t ed to t h em t h at he h ad c a u s ed t h is a c c i d e n t. B ut s u r p r i s i n g ly b e f o re t h is C o u rt t he a c c u s ed d e n i es e v er m a k i ng a ny s u ch a d m i s s i o ns to t h e m. It w as i n d i r e c t ly s u g g e s t ed on h is b e h a lf t h at t he a d m i s s i o ns m a de to t h e se p o l i ce o f f i c e rs c o u ld be i n a d m i s- s i b le c o n f e s s i o n s. B ut t he a u t h o r i ty of D a v id P e t l a ne v. R ex 1 9 7 1 - 73 L LR at p . 85 is in p o i nt in t h is m a t t er b e c a u se w h en an a c c u s ed p e r s on s a ys to a p o l i c e m an t h at he h as k i l l ed s o m e b o dy he d o e s n 't t h e r e by i m p ly t h at ho h as d o ne so u n l a w f u l l y. It m ay w e ll be he w as d o i ng it in s e l f- d e f e n ce or in r e s p o n se to, s u p e r i or o r d e rs or s i m p ly b e c a u se he w as not in h is r i g ht f r a me of m i n d. T he a c c u s ed w as h a rd p ut to it to s ay w hy t h e se o f f i c e rs should all of t h em w i t h o ut e x c e p t i on f a b r i c a te a g a i n st h im in t he m a n n er t h at he w a n t ed t h is C o u rt to b e l i e v e. W i th r e s p e ct to S/L R a l e a ka a l b e it b e l a t e d ly t he a c c u s ed s o u g ht to p r o f f er an e x c u se t h at he is f a b r i c a t i ng a g a i n st h im b e c a u se t h ey h ad quarrelled o v er a w o m an s o m e- w h e r e. S t r a n g e ly e n o u gh e v en t h o u gh he h ad t h is g o od r e a s on f or d i s c r e d i t i ng R a l e a ka he n e v er p ut it to h im w h en R a l e a ka w as g i v i ng e v i d e n ce b e f o re C o u rt w h i le t he a c c u s ed h ad t he o p p o r t u n i ty to c h a l l e n ge h im w i th t h a t. On t he b a s is of t he c a se of S m a ll v. S m i th 1 9 5 4 ( 3) SA at 4 34 c o u p l ed w i th t h at o ne of P h a l o a ne v R ex 1 9 8 1 ( 2) L LR at 2 46 I r e j e ct t he a c c u s e d 's e x p l a n a t i on or c o n t e n t i on in t h is r e g a rd as n ot o n ly i m p r o b a b le b ut c o m p l e t e ly f a l s e. H is w as a c l e ar c a se of an a f t e r t h o u g ht of a m an w ho w as / i n v e n t i ng - 4 - i n v e n t i ng e v i d e n ce as he w as g o i ng a l o n g. T h e re w as no r e a s on w hy he s h o u l d n 't h a ve s u p p l i ed to h is C o u n s el s u ch an i n c i d e nt as a f o rm of a m m u n i t i on w i th w h i ch to a t t a ck t he p a r t i c u l ar C r o wn w i t n e s s. W i th r e s p e ct to T r o o p er M o h o l o h o lo t he a c c u s ed s h o w ed t he C o u rt t h at M o h o l o h o lo h a r b o u rs no ill w i ll a g a i n st h i m. It w as a m a t t er of g r e at b e w i l d e r m e nt to t he a c c u s ed t h at M o h o l o h o lo c o u ld s ay t h i n gs t h at he s a id a b o ut h i m. T he s a me g o es f or M a k h e l e. T he a c c u s e d 's s t o ry w as f u ll of c o n t r a d i c t i o n s. H is e v i d e n ce w as a b s o l u t e ly f u ll of c o n f l i c ts and w as u n r e l i a b l e. At o ne s t a ge he w o u ld t e ll me t h at f r om t he s c e ne he h ad l e ft M o h o l o h o lo t h e r e. In t he s a me b r e a th he w o u ld t e ll me t h at a c t u a l ly it w as M o h o l o h o lo w ho h ad l e ft h im t h e r e. He d id to h is " c r e d i t " c o n f e ss to t he C o u rt t h at he h ad g i v en t he C o u rt t wo c o n f l i c t i ng s t o r i e s. T he q u e s t i on s t i ll r e m a i ns b ut w hy if he is a m an w ho w as w i t n e s s i ng these e v e n ts in t he m a n n er of a p o l i c e m an or a p e r s on w ho is l a t er said by h a ve t o ld t h em t h at he w as r e s p o n s i b le f or t h i s? H is insistence on the subsequent version a g a in is an i n s t a n ce of u s e l e ss f a b r i c a t i on w h i ch s h o u ld be r e j e c t ed in its e n t i r e t y. T he q u e s t i on t h at n ow r e m a i ns to be d e a lt w i th is t h at o ne r e l a t i ng to i n t e n t i on t h at is in t he e v e nt t h at it is f o u nd t h at t he a c c u s ed is r e s p o n s i b le f or t he h o m i c i de it s h o u ld be e s t a b l i s h ed w h at h is i n t e n t i on w a s? W h at t y pe of h o m i c i de it w a s? In o t h er w o r ds t he C o u rt is to d e t e r m i ne w h e t h er t h is c a se f a l ls u n d er t he c a t e g o ry of m u r d er or t h at of c u l p a b le h o m i c i d e. It w o u ld h a ve b e en an e a s i er m a t t er to f i nd w h e t h er in f a ct t h e re w as a c a se of c u l p a b le h o m i c i de if t he a c c u s ed had c o n f i d ed in t h is C o u rt a nd c o me o p en and t e ll t h is C o u rt t he t r u th n ow i n s t e ad of d o i ng t h at he d e c i d ed to l i e. T h e re is a u t h o r i ty f or t he v i ew t h at an a c c u s ed p e r s on w ho p u r v e ys a t i s s ue of l i es to t he c o u rt d o es t h e r e by s t r e n g t h en t he c a se f or t he C r o w n. Of c o u r se t he C r o wn w o u ld h a ve had s o me p r i ma f a c ie c a se in t he f i r st i n s t a n c e; and in o r d er to be t r ue to t he c o n t e n t i on t h at an / a c c u s ed - - a c c u s ed p e r s on s h o u ld n ot n e c e s s a r i ly be c o n v i c t ed b e c a u se he is a l i ar t he C r o wn s h o u ld in t he f i r st i n s t a n ce h a ve h ad a p r i ma f a c ie c a s e. It w as s u b m i t t ed to t he C o u rt by M r. Q h o m a ne f or t he C r o wn t h at t he i n t e n t i on c o u ld be g a t h e r ed f r om t he f a ct t h at t he d e c e a s ed w as h it f r om t he b a ck by a b u l l et t h e r e f o re he c o u l d n 't h a ve b e en a ny d a n g er to w h o e v er s h ot h i m. So t h e re c o u l d n 't be a ny c a se of s e lf d e f e n ce in s u ch c i r c u m s t a n c e s; and t h at the i n j u ry w as e f f e c t ed on t he u p p er p a rt of t he b o dy w h i ch is v i t a l, and t h at t he C o u rt s h o u ld i n f er t h at t h e re m u st h a ve b e en r e c k l e s s n e ss on t he p a rt of w h o e v er f i r ed t he w o u nd t h at r e s u l t ed in t he f a t al c o n s e q u e n c es b e c a u se a r e a s o n a b le m an o u g ht to h a ve r e a l i s ed t h at a s h ot f i r ed u n d er s u ch c i r c u m s t a n c es w o u ld r e s u lt in t he v i c t i m 's d e a th or s e r i o us i n j u r y; b ut n o n e t h e l e ss t he a c c u s ed f i r ed w i t h o ut r e g a rd to s u ch c o n s e q u e n c e s. I a g r ee w i th t h is c o n t e n t i on and do a c c o r d i n g ly f i nd t he a c c u s ed g u i l ty of M u r d er on b a s is of r e c k l e s s n e s s. My a s s e s s o rs a g r e e. T he C o u rt a c c e p ts w h at y o ur s e c o nd C o u n s el h as s a id in e x t e n u a t i o n, n a m e l y, t he f a ct t h at y ou d i d n 't p r e- m e d i t a te on g o i ng to k i ll t h is m a n. 1 t h i nk t h at is t he o n ly r e a s o n. I h a ve j u st b e en a d d r e s s ed in m i t i g a t i o n. T he C o u rt s e n t e n c es y ou to s ix ( 6) y e a r s' i m p r i s o n m e n t. J U D GE 12th J u n e, 1991 F or C r o wn : M r. Q h o m a ne F or D e f e n c e: 1. Mr. Drametu 2. M r. Fosa