19891129 TZHC Tabora

IN TH.8 HIGH COURT OF TANZANIA LT TABORA ·• ORIGINAL JURISDICT!ON (Tabo~a Registry) CRI~HN.A.L SESS"ION'S CASE NO~ 7 OF 1987 · · · THE REPtr.BLIC · VERSUS- ·· .. ,SANDU _ND,ULILI @. 11HOMAS CHARG:2:.. Mur:J.t.)l' c/s 196 of t~Lt; P81Ltl Code. I JUDGMENT CHIPETA, J .. : The accused person in this case, sandu Ndilili alias Thomas Luhidi, stande ·charged with the offence of murder c/o 196 of the Penal Code. The ;Republic has. alleged thi-=tt on or about 7th July, 198~-, ·at Ikungu.lyabashashi village within the District of Bariadi in Shinyanga ·Region, the accused murdered one Ibalala Ibogoma~ The.accused denied the charge. The prosecution's evidence, from a total of.four witnesses, is to the following effect: at the material time, the deseaeed and one Lula Mashengwa (P. ;:'.'. 3) were livin,g at Ikung~yabashashi village. Al.so living·: in the same villag~ was the mother of the deceased, '.one Nkulir112. Nkinda (P.W.l ) and an uncle of the -deceased~ one Soma.no.a. Y.ulwa ( P~ VJ. 2). On 7th July, lS81;. 1 :Joth -c:18 deceased and P.W.3 went to a pombe shop in some part of the v_illage to cel·ebra.te the sabasaba·festivals, but P.W.3 wa.s the first to arrive at ~;:~.2 ··;__:..1:,e .. shop, They started drinking loc.J.l liquor, but tn;e deceasvcl and. P~W.3 sat in different groups -md there were many other pu·::::,1,.:: ... Some time later, the· deceased appro.:::i:ched P. W, 3 ..mcl fs:~ec;. him to lend the fon:ier a bicyc_le · so th,_=d; he ( the deceased) ccoulc. ' have a short r icle. Po W. 3 obliged ,md so .the dee eased took P~W.3's bicycle ,J.nd left, le-1ving PoW.3_still drinldngt · Later, c:1fter sunset, P.v,J.3 dectded to return horae 1 Re w.:..i.o tsery drunk. As P.-w.3 w~,s le.,iving, he met the deceased• who was .also drunk. The decc-1sod tried. to c-?,rry P.1,r.3 on the bieyc1e, but PeW.3 w.:.s too dru:r.ll{ to "u ..l~nco i1L1-seli' on the bicyyle 1 so . : P. w. 3. disembarked frot1 the bicycle ...md lay of the ground, -- - ·"'. • 2 He soon fell .:..1.sleep. He did not wake up till it wis alnost d4~• Me..:mwhile, P. W. 1 v10.s o.wukened from sleep tha.t night by the· dececi.secl. vrhen P.:W .1 ::r~ked the deceased wh::i.t ho.d happened, the deceased tolll her th ..;·;; he 11-,d been assaulted by two people, harnely, ·sanuu Ndilili, whom P. w.1 understood to be the accused in this c:i-(:1e ~ .. ,ncl one Ikirnbu, who is --it large. ,The deceased s--iid thCl~ he h.J.cl boen.o.tt::ickecl by the two people for no re-tson; t}L·c. ·c:t.0y hit him ,,,on· the forehe-1d with a stone; 811.d th:...tt he h:..,d bled profusely from ~he resulting wound. P. W.i then b__:.ndiged the wound~ __ Th:tt ·sa.riie night, Po-~~!~~· wo.s inf'orrr~ed that the deceicecl · .ha.d been sss.:niltocl. P.W.,2 went to see.... the deceased who told .. . ' him th---1:t' he h_:.d been .J.Ssaulted by one Sandu Ndilili who h-1d ~ . hit the deceased with .J. ston-o on the ·forche-1d~ P~vi.-2 un_der- stood the dece-1sed to be reforring to the accus.;;d in this cise. By next· :r;10rning the condition of the dece;:i.sed h;:_i,d deteriorated ..1nd. so h" 1·1:J.s :c .. LJ~l ~co .:..1. dispensa:cy within "the village. While 2t the dispens~ry, the. dece~sed repe3ted his stoi·y _th::i.t he h-cl beon hit with· c1 stone by Sandu Ndilili ; nncl Ikinibu~ From the clis_;_)0nsJ.ry, the cleceo.sed w::is. taken to s:i.m3lldi Ho spi tnl ·where he: vus ad.L1i tted. P.W.3, mo:..:u1whi:l:-0, ·went to see the dece;J.sed in the hospi t.J.1 ..md the decensocl. tol~l him thG s:J.Lie story, - De spi tc -111 th2 tre·.itrnent he received in the hospi to.l for the injury, ~v~ich ~vol ved fracture of the front-::,J_ bono . of. the head, the concii tio·n of. tho docca.sed deterio-r.,1tc(' 1 ·~ .:..' :.L _"; he \tied in hos'pit-.:il on 24th July, 1984. Some two· weeks or so l..:1ter ~- Police received .i report of the incident ~mcl so -D/C Robert (P.W,4) went to Jlq,u.1.guJ-,7""- b-:.tsh:.:tshi vilL.i.ge ,md visi tsd the scone. From_ wh:.:tt he could go."ther from the poop'le he_ intery•iecl, the incident occu.r:rccl a. t night :.:ncl in d.J.rkne s s. The accused w..1s subsequently o.rr_estod .:ind ~ho.rgcc'.'L w:ith .. this offence. _ ." In his d0fcmce on o.,th_, tf.:.o 2ccuscd deniecl.·thc cho.rge, He .so.id th-J.t on 7th July, 1904-, lrn ·w::.i.s ;J.t Mhu.p.z.e, his duty st,..,ttion, which i~} □ore th..m twenty miles :...1Yf-:J.Y, ·where he vrnrkod . . Cr.Sess.C.No.7 87. 3 o.s o. fc o stry :i.ssisto.nt, .J.nd th:.1t he did not go to Ikungulyab:1sh-1shi vill::.gc.:, his home villo.ge, on 7th July, 1984,. He S:J.id thxt he wer:.t to Ikunguly..::..b8.shci.shi village on 24th J y, 1984 from B-lri~1di where he h.J.d gone to· check his sa.l.1ry. He w-...1.s -.1rrosted o.t his home vill-J.ge by relo.tivas of tho dece~sed on 25th July~ 1984. - .. n his f:Ln:.11 subui::3sions, Mr .• Oswo.ld, lo-.:i.rned state y for tho Republic, subraitted th....tt the decensodt s dying ocl-trxtiun :s~::.011..l<l be o.ctod upon · in th::1t the deceo.secl cntly:rnc..tclo tlrn so.me st'""'tenent to P.W.l, P,W.2 und P.W!3, t al though it wo.s .:i.t night, the deceased. could not h:.1.ve rn. ·;.de D. mist-..tke .:ts he know the accused very well bofor,_, ' . the da of the i.t'1.cic.len t. At the tirae ·thG deceo.sed mxlu ·;:;:~.(.; dying . 09L.n;:.1tion, Mr. Oswo.lcl subr,iitt0c., he h_,<l :1 cl;:;ur . rocol ection -.1.s to .wh-:t h,J.cl hQ.pponed. r. Mbusso., l0arnod coU11.s0l for_ the defence, subni•::;ted th:1t he dying docL1r.J.tio11., which h_.,d not bocn corr~bor:.1tuc., was. t o we: . ::u.{ to bu roli-..;,_;_ u~~-c:11. In his submission· _the J.ying cloclx --1tion ought not to be ;..,;c·cocl upon b0c;.1usc the incident occur- _0d -=~t night ...md in d.J.rknoss :it .J. tim.e when tho doca8.scd had t · ~on alcohol. A'.'.ftcr o..y sur.ilL1ing up to tho two gentlemen .J.ssessors, they were oth of tho vi0v1 th.rt thu o.c-cused ~us not guilty - of, any o fence. · It is now \'lull cs-c-1blished th.J.t there ;ne cJ.ses .in wnich ~ dying (~ocl-.1r ..;tion cjn · bo ;:1 b:isis for ~t conviction; e rule of pr;.1ctice ..1.11.d 1Jrudonce is th . . tt ::: court iimst c~tr0f _lly dir.cct itself -~s to tl1\j nature; of such evicloi1co an.J .J_j_)rO-J.Ch it wi·Lll ·caution. (SGG Muyovya Bin Msuma v~ J.., • . ~-- - i -- 4 (E,A.C.A. ·128), and· usually et court will look for corrolYJr . ·:·~j_(Jl'::·~ .. This Court too h...1s on iiL:.ny" occ.:.isions rcst:..itcd tll..1t prin iplo. In tho case of Republic v. Josoph Ngaikwa.rJ.c, (197 ) LRT n. 6, MD.pig_:no, .Ag. J. ( ::is ho the1{"t-.i~s'5 h:1cl this to say about dying docl..::.ritions, ~t page 37: •~The rule of pr.1ctice .:mc.l prctd1.mce ••• Is th:.1t by its nei.turo, 0vid011cc of a dying declaration f:J.11s info the C~'.-CO..::.;ory- of cvidoncu of which pi.:.i.teyi0,l- ~r;:-obo.r4tic.i:-: ~ is c::tll0d for bGfore it c,.,n bG accepted ...md J.cted upon, w1loss tho circun_st:..mc0;s show tlut the dcoeased w:J.s honGst -.:u1d co:::--rcct 11 ~ 4 It is ccrta.inly truo that the.deceiisod in this c:.:i.se LLJ.de precise ..md. subst:JJ.'1ti:J.lly idcmtiaal. statcL1ents to at least three people tc the: effect th'-'t it was tho accused wl~o h ...\cl .J.ssci.ul tecl him. But th:::.t, .J.s w.:1s st:::i.ted in Ng.:i.ukw.J.nQ 1 s ca.se ( supr.J.), is not evidence of its ::iccur.J.cy; a.t tll6 Th..iihust, it is only ovidonce . of the . tlece.:.ised 1 s consistency of his bcliof in th,,t regJ.rd. The iJ.1.cit"~ent occu:rrocl 8.t night, ..:incl -1ccordi11g to P.W_.3, there w_.:is. c.L::r~rnss. Tho u.ecca.sod h.1d appnently tJ.kon ;J. lot of ,..1lcohol~ TL; ..::·ct-,clc ,--1..:ts -..J.J:)p:.:.:.rently suc:.clen ,:;.nc: w--1s .:i. single blov/ on the hc..:~rc.l which Hust lL·,ve stum:n.ed the deceased• Clc~ly, thorLfor0 ,. ·c:.L. circu.11st,.mccs did not f:.J.vour .J. ·•::>rrcct id.on tif'ic._:tion. This, then, is .J. typic-..J.l cJ.se in which to look for oviclcmco corrobor.J.ting ovidenc0 of _, ctring dccLn·.1tii:m. Thxc. oviclenc(.J is ·wholly w::mting .: ~ . . in this c.:::.se. . . . Tli--,t bail1s; tho positio:I?,, _:.n_c.l b1;;...tring in mind tl10 :J.ccu:suc.1 1 s solid defonco of s:.1libi 1 I ros:pectftilly ci.gree with the go11tlm:10n nssossors tll.1.t tho prosecution h~ts f·o.ilccl to prove its cnse ag_t.inst the :J.ccusod beyond ro.:.:.son.Jble doubt9 I accordingly find tb:-~ accused not guilty ,mcl ! cluly acquit hin ;forthwith. He slw.11 forthwith be rele.:i.sod from . •' ' custody ur1less othorvds0 l:J.wfully hold. ; /4' - . / ""' , If / 1 .• / ... I I .!'. - - ,f, I ' . .'l ''xi~~·--}. '/ _,. I I ! ·- -. '·(' ·. ·",1) l- .' .• B. D. Chipeta Judge •· 29.lle89: . . ·cgrCUJ: As boforG Ac-eusod present unclor custody_. Judg:rn:;n t deli vor0d in opon court ..J.t Shiny;:mga this . 29th dc.-1,y of Novur.1bor, 1989 • Judge ' l989t 29th Novemb~r,-