NA TZCA Dar es Salaam6

IN THE cou:aT OF .APP:&U, OF Tl!NZ.AlifIA AT MI.mYA .. ..... ,_, ::-- . .::···. \:,. ·•:,:\·:.:, ....... . CI':IMINAL .APPEAL NO. 1.21 OF 1987 BETWEEN JOBN JIM .AND 2- OTHERS • • • 0 • • 0 o •· •.• APPELIJ1. NTS Alll> T.BE REPUBLICo • e o • • • • • o • o • • RESPONDENT (Appeal from the conviction and=sentence of the High Court of Tanzania, at_Mbeya) (Ba.hati 2 J.) dated the 28th day of September, 1987 in Criminal Sessions Case No.9 of 1984 JUDGritmrTT OF TEE COURT lU.MbDlli:JiJ'I,_ J ~11. • .a Three persons namely: Fm:LSON s/o $AGl.1.JE, JULIDS s/o ERICK and i JORN s/o JJN, hereil'lafter collectively referred to as t4e appella.ntss stood charged with tlle murder of ene M!.1.IKO s/o IIDULA c/s 196 of the Penal Code •. The High Court of Tanzania at 1,roeya. (BL'Jt\TI, J.) oonvioted them of manslaughter and sentenced every one of them to a term -of imprisonment o;f four ·yeo.rs.- /~grieved with such conviction:~ sentences they now appeal before~. At the trial it was not in dispute that in the evening of the 24th July, 1984 the deceased was drunk and caused some disturbances at their homo. Re poured out some yeast used for brewing local beer. His cousin, 'REGINA d/o KALlllGA (PW. 1 ) , tried to stop him but in val-1!• ';['he mother of PW.1_, MA.TILD.':.. D.::JTIBL (PW.2) joined in the efforts of her daughter and on realising the futility of that exercise sent f0r her husband, one VENMTCE 1WUL17: (PW.3), who was the uncle of the dcocased. However,· PW.3 instead of' go:ipg personally to confront his nephew, he in turn sent JOHN WILL;I/~1 (P't-r.. 5) who bcsid0s being the chairman of the 2 militiamen, u-::,s tllo friend of tile doccasod+ FW .5 cali.10d his f;:-iond~. What transpired next is contcstodo Roucvor, it was indubitable that tho next r:1orning tho docoo.sod wc:.s found by PU.1 crying in tho kitchen. Upon l)Cing asked why ho was cr3ring ho explained to Fi-Ts. 1 to 5 that tho appellants ha.d bo2.tcn l1im up tho previous night i::.ftor hr,ving dragged him out of his bedroom. The docoasod uas to.ken to tho hospHo.l -whore ho r;iot his death si:i:: do.ya lc.to1·. T'no ca.so for tho prosecution w.:::~s thc,t tho o,p::_:,ollcnts a.rrostod tho docoasod as ho hc:ul er.used o. second coi1notion niter tho first ono whioh hrul boon pacified by PW.5. . The a,")\)Ollo.nts .. 11X:.d c.dmittcd to G:::B.V.l.!.S MOJDaTO (PW.4), tho bl•c,.nch socrct;:-..:;.•y a.t t~10 villc-..gc, to h::',VO so r..rrostod tho doco;:iscd on tho ord::irs of PW .5 uho i~1 te.rn confossod to ·p:r.4 to hr.;.vo ic,;,;ucd thoso orders. .'..t tho t:.:-ic..l, however 1 P1f. 5 denied hc..ving given such o:;.•d.:::rs just .:-,s tho c.p:riollc.nts olc..imod not to h::-,vo hG.d a.nything to do Hi th tlle do coll.sod on thc;t fc:.tofvl evening. His □c.in bone of contention 11c.s thc-,t t.J.O 1-::,,:u•nod trinl jud.go erred i..'1 convicting the c,pl)cllc:,nts w1on ui1con•obor:-,tod dying dcch1,rc,tion of the dccoG.sod. T'J.10 1:ot.rnod o.dvoc:1to did not contest t:he finding of tho lcru.·ncd tric,l judge th[~t tl10 c.ppcllc..1.11ts c.rrostod tho dcco.J.sed. On the contrc.ry, ho c.re;uod frot1 tllct proniso.. Iioimvor, ho conto:ndod th:..~t tho fG.ct of the c:XTost ,ms completely sop,~•o..to from 2.l'ld ha.d no co:111~ction with the boating-up of. tl1c dccoasod. To l)rop up his contention, Hr. J3a.toyungc, sa.id thr...t tho cr:rost 1r;:i,s effected bL:fo:i:'O 7.30 p.m. lJoc.:.use Pl'l,5 wc,s given tho report of tho crrost between 7.30 p.n. c:.nd 7.,45 p.u. On tho other hc..i'ld, ·tho learned Counsel subi-:ii ttecl, tho clrr.:.g·i:;j.ng .1,."ld the bc~ting-up of ;tho doceo.sod took 111.:.cc ::-.:Zto1· 9 Pon•,, th.::; ti;_io :.:t nhich P'.·T.2 scdd sho uont to bod, othol'lTisc s~10 uot1ld h:·.vo lmmm_of tho a.ssc.ult. 3 :~go.inst thd a.rGUi"Jont r:ra. IIDUIWtB.U, lot.:rncd Sta.to "·~ttox-ncy, for tho Rcspond.0~1t/Ropublic, suh::ittcd th.:.t tho dying docl:::.rn.tion wc..s '/ corroborc.tod, by tho ovidonco of PW.2 thc,t the o..ppcllcnts c:.dnittcd to hc.vc boa.ton tho docc;:,-,sed when thoy were cskod tho follo'tiihg morning. The lccrnod Stdc L ttorney supplern11tod t!10.t submission ,ti th c.nothor; that since Hr. Bc.toyunga. concedod the finding of the tri;:,,l judge that the n.ppcllc..nts c..rrestod tho docoo.sod, uhich 1ms tho ovicloncc of PWs. 4 rind 5 then the c:_ppoll.:-:,nts wore tho l;:-,st persons to bo ni th tho decoe,sod c.nd they should therefore give e:.n o..ccotmt of the injuries 1-rhicll cc.used his doc.th. Hro 1:Jdunguru obsorvod thc.t tho c,:9:)ollcnts hc.d fo.ilod to rend.or tha.t G.ccotmt. Tho learned St;:.te .1~ttornoy pra.ycc1 that 110 clisniss the a,ppoa.l. Mr. Bc,to;yungn. roplicd thc..t tb.o r~:i_),:?olk..nts hwi ro:poc.todly c..nd .. constc.ntly denied before PWs., 2, 3 c..nd 4 to have bor.ton tho dcoco.scd. · 'l'hc loc.i·nod Counsel l)Ointod out faro other ph-:.cos in tl:o :record w!1ero PW.2 tostj_fiod tll.:~t tho ::i.ppollc..nts denied to hc.vo bor,ton tho c1cco::~sod. Finv..lly ~Jr. Bo.toyungc. st,1tod th;::,t thm. 0 ,:.J.s nothing in the r::lcord to 0 support tho contention thc.t the ::::Qpollc:.nts wore tho lo..st persons to ha.vo bco;.1 with tho doooc.,oodo On tl1o contJ:.:..:.ry, he s::.,id, cvic'\.oncc sho,;s thr.:.t PW .2 wo.s tho la.st porcon. It is tri to rule of pr2.ctico t!1ct it is unsc..fo to ;x,so o.. conviction' solely on o, dying d.ocl:..xdiono It is 2..lwr..;rs dosir2..blo to look for co:ri~o1:iorc..tion., Nou, wc\s t~1orc cor-roboro..tion in tho i!1stunt cc.so? Hr .. 1Tdunguru oous!1t to fine: corrobor:::tion from the tcstinony of PW e 2 th2.t tl10 G.d:[>ollo..nts ndni ttod to :.1c,;.rc boo.ton tho cl.oco,:;,scdo Howovor, ns correctly pointed out by r1r. J3v..toyungc., PW .2 wc.o t!10 only witness to hr,vo s[dd so. All tho otl10:rs hc.d testified thct tho .... /4 -,. J 4 o.ppoll.:i.nts :t-~2.C.. denied a.ss::i,ul tins tho clococ..sod. ·In fr.:.ct, c.s properly sul)oittocl l)y :Ir. ]3:-.tcytinGC too, even P~f.2 herself he.cl on tuo :previous occc..sions tcstific:d th:i.t tho 0,ppollr:.11ts clicl not D,G.f.'Jit to h,.vo 1;cc.ton tho _docc:1socl., Ronco thcro is no cor:;.'oboro..tion thc.t ucyw IIr,. Bo.tcyt.mgn hc.s conccc.od to t:10 fa.ct of tl1c o..rrcst of tho doc6nsccl by t:10 C.J.)J?Cllc:.nts ::nd 1,0 rt.f,TOO uith hi.r:i tho.t t::lis docs not nccosso..rily ;:ior.,n thr.t thc;r hcd ro2.tcn hiw. It ccrt:.-:.inly drc.us a, strong suspicion since tho O.l)J?ollc..ats hcd t!10 opportu."li ty to do so. But thc..t is ell .. Thoro c..rc tl1roo· nc.gc;ing q_uustions t1:.u :111s,·,crs to which could assist one uc.y or the o.thor •. FirGt, c..t 1;-;_,.c,t tiE10 ,ms tho oxrost DJ.d.c? S:cond,_ a.t whc.t tine u:~s tho b,:::-,ting ndr.1inistcrod? Lc.stly, -;roro tho c.ppollants t:.ie l,,ot poroons to lJo 1ri th t:.-,o c.oc_o::.cod? Tho t110 ke;r uitnosoon, p1-;.1 .::.nd PH.2, do aot e:.soist us hcroo Both of than clo not r.101:tion tho :,rrost of tho doc02-sed 1,3~ the c.ppellc..."'lts. I.Ir. !3::'..to;y't.:..."lf,D. sv.b::1i ttccl t:!.:,1t tl.1.ose t'l;o we:ro hiding tho truthc But gone to sl00j_J so it WC:.G unk:nmm to t!1on. Thc.t cot.1.lcl not hc..ve l)eon so. Both of t:.ion did not testify c..s to tho soco::.1cl round of clisturlJr....".lce b;r tho doco:::.sod 1;;:ich procipit . --..tocl . tho c,rrest. T?:1c,t f::.~ct w~·.a only 'brougllt up when it w:--..c oought to iopoa.ch the c1·ecl:i.t of PUe2 by croos-oxcnining b.or on her st::,,tqocnt to t!10 Police (:Sxl::.o Do 1) in ;rhich 0:.10 t.:.lkod of tho soconcl ci.i••m:~. So PWo2 l1::.cl not Glept by tl1011 c-,ncl this :::ic-..kos t!10 tir.10 of c..I'rost to hcvo "boon bofore 9 p.r.1. for ollc :i;::.d o,::.id "I olopt .'.~ccording to PlJo5 tho ::xrost ,re..::: ouch --.:,,:..rlior for ~:o SC'..ic. thc.t tho c'.lrrcst H:'.3 rorio:.:-tod to l1io G.1d tJ.:e,t ho left t!10 ::,)0,.1'.)c oho:p for Drickt G hot.l3c, u]1cro the do co;-.sccl w::-.s dot::-,ined, o.rriving tl:cro c..t o.bout : , 5 So the c.rrcst uo..s 02.rlicr t:.:.cn 7d0 po □o ,.,nc: by 7e45 p.n. t].10 c'..oco2.socl hcrl a.lro-:'..C1..y 1Xlcn rolco.soc: Ll'lt:. t!1c .::,p:;;,oJ.l['.nts 1,oro not with hin. end bo.:.ton up by t~o ~ppcll~nts. Tho tostinony of P\11 0 2 is even_ sto.rtling. She G1s1m1~oc. one ::,::,scosor t!1us: "The d.o coc:cccl s::.ic.:. the:.t ho sloj_)t ~1Q t~1cn those c:::.uo :::-,nd. took hiD .:.sic:.o ·r:nc. bot..t hirJ. H:: s2..ic.:. th;:-..t his conpc,nions c::uo for hio c.11c1.. led hi::i 2-1my c Ho s;::,ic1. t~1:::-~t l:e w.:,s bo~,ten to unconsciousness c,ncl t;:1en roturno·c.." If tho c1.ecoc,sec. we:.s boo.ton to unconsoiousnoss one wonders how ho knew t!12..t he :we,s roturnoc.l. But uo:re still u~,.y slwulcl the o.ss:::.ilc.nts clo just tl:.c.t., -The ovicl.onco on rooo;xl is in i:,ost p:::-,,rt s~1=:vod. trut::.so It ra.ises □ ore_ questions tho,n it a.nswers. We therefore give tho bonofi t of tl10 <loubt to tho ::.ppella.nts. ~,re e:.llow t~1O c,.ppe:,l c.ncl q_unsh the convictiori. 1991. JUSTICE OF ..::..PPEAL J1JSTICE OF 1...PP.Ill1.L I true copy of tho origina.l& DEPUT'f :P..3GIS'E~Z..R