19900130 TZHC Dar es Salaam

DJ TEE niaFI t.Ou1li.:: ff~:1 '11.AlIZANIA 1'1T D.till E3 .SJJ.J.l:J-I fi.PPELLl:..TE ,JutJ::-IDI CTI ClJ --- RIGIT COUil.T CRil.UNr.L AP~t.L UO. ,e OF 1989 :o:aIGINAL ·CRIMINAL ti~ iIO. ·1226 OF 1988 bP TII8 DISTRICT COURT OF Ittui. DISTI'"1<1£ J.l!l ICTGU'ro Bef oro K.ARUA 9 Reside1\t Mr,gis\;n:'li<l 1st SELEM!llU ALLY ) 2md llASIIIDI SELTI:iillJI ) 3r.d .&LIM SELEI-iAHI ) J1JDCIIG1'111' -LUGAKINGIRJ~, J. On 14 Octobcr!I 1988 9 n.t iwczi K:i.siuani in Dar GS S~laarn, there was aouffle inv-olvi11G :tho rosponclents (n. fn.t:.101' r!l:ld his sons) ~ the one parli and the complmn:mt ono Shabani Heint1.o 011 the other part w~h resulted ;in tho coraplai11c.·-..xd; su.stru.ning a cut wow.1c.l in -'Ghe :right hr.nd a.P Well as genero.-:- lised body pains,. The rospon:J.ents uoro c?.1nrgcq. ,,,i th_ assault <lo.using oo-'H1.t.l bodily l1a;r;-;i c/s 241 of the Penal CoclG ~)u-t were ~qui ttcd by tho District Court at Kisutu after a full trial. TI~:i.o appenl by tho Director/of Public Prosecutions is against the acqu.i-litaJ.. ~c cor.1plninant and tho first respondcmt Selone.ni Ally hold contie;uons pieces of land at Mbozi Kisiwani .bu:~ i·~ O.l')i.)€aJ'.'S that tJ1cir bounclariJ i~ ill-:- defined. ThG com1Jat frow which tbio case a;rose was the result of a dispute over the bO\.mdaJ:'y. The cor.1plaina:at was pLrbting-_ up a house over ltj.s lJl?t of land. But ulJ.011 he a.r:rivod at the site 011 ·lihc mornill{; of 14 October, 19/JG ho realised -'Glud; tho first respondent hn.cl put pogs in the ground1 appm-ently. "lio maxk. the boundary1 wh..ich pegs ran :dglrli ~on,3' the wn11 of the c omflo.innn\ 'f! house. The oor1plai~t renoved then~ In -~:mt instnn..(j -'~10 f:i_rat rQsJ.>OJ].tle11t appeared :follouod closely by his so;.1::: 1 the f:lCCond and t:1ird rospon!ent$, 1',l1d dennn.ded o:E the· conplainant wby he ltoi:1 i~<r.1oved the pees. Tho c:ctnpl.ain....•,.;n:'l.i !i..w a hoc which he hnd ju.st borrowed fr-or.1 ,:i, noi 5 hbour,.. According to the rcspoi-\clcmts ho raised it to strike the first reopon•.:.cmt whereupon the respondents go·~ in-'Go action to cliserE1 the comploinclllt. 0-~1 · t:.10 other hru:id, houe:ve:r 1 ~,he cowplainc'.J.1"/; s·~a.ted tJ.mt he uo.s jl..l!lt iilvnded by ·chc; r-cr:;ponc.1..onts. Be tb.c·b c1s 1 t mey1 i·t sooi:HJ accepted on 1Jo-~h sictes that the co11i,lai11U:.1-'tj i=Justoinod tho cu-t wound i'1, t'.J.G course of ·bhc ensuing strU3{;lc a.nd it ;·.u,:;ht l1::wc boon ca.used by --the hQe • •• ,;•. ,./2 • j -2- According to the Pf3 issued to tJ:i.o co,:iple.inc..nt :for -~reatment at Mwana.nJ"~.mala IIospi tal 1 the coBpln.inmr~ sL'.l'forod a cu;I; 1-rou.ncl on the ri~ht upi)cr li..ib which required ai.x sti tcheo, as 1-1011 as 50norcliocd 1)oc\y pcins. The ?F3 · was tendered along with a trca.tr.1011-'c om"d iror,1 tho s2ae hospital utich aclcli tioll.c"..llY spoke of soft tissue injury on the c:.'.est, soft tissue injury on the lower lim1)s, nnd a haem.a-bone. on ·lino right cheecJ~ In his juclg,:1ent, the tria1 mc1t.,-rj_strate concentrated oxclusively on how tho 1ic;1,:i; star-'ccd and how tho cut wound was occasioned., 1.fter finding th~t tho comiilainc::nt was tho only prosecution wi•ii11oss who s.:i.w -~he d.xa..1a. fror:i the start he "iren-'~ ®11 to observe that tho cooplro.1'.lai.'1·~ t.,__ught ic.: have cut hinsolf or the hoe raig-ht hc.:ve cut him in the cotll'so of the violence, :Zot which, ...... these three e.ccusod shou.li:.l no·i; 1)c blru:1ed1 as they r,1ight legally (1:c":VC) been dcfono.inff -~he:;aselves, o o •• tt In -~l,e upshot he acqt,tltted then. I ar,1 1;repared to ngree tha-'c 1Jei11-s in possession of the hoe nclde tho com- plainant po-'centin.J.ly dn;neGrous and. i·t r19ir 11ell be tJ.:i.2.t ho rcc1Cted n.ggressivoly~ to the accosting· by the first responclont.. These are ;:iattars in which thG r-cs- pondents were· cnti tled to the benc:2i.,G o:f:' -~he doubt. On tha.t basis they were cnti tlcd to use every rcaaonablc nc2J1s fo neutralise tl1e complainnnt by dis'"'.' arming ¥-1:1.• Since i-'G is c1Cceptecl that t::o cut wound resulted fron the struecle for -'i;he hoc rather than a deliber2.-'li0 c.ttaclc, I ni-:i bounc.1. to ~Tee wi"t;h tho learned trial magistrate that the cut wound could not 1x: ·i;ho basis of a ca.:.viction for the,offenco chn.r0 cdo IIowover, that uas not tho 0ml ot t:1.0 story. In fact tl10 charge cited 1Jot.l1 the cut wound n:a.d gencralisecL boct,- pains.. Thero was cvic;_ence, indeed, that upon being disa.rned tho couplcina11·~ c.koic:.oc.l rp for safety -:- the only optio:.1 available to hia in the circuastancos. J3ut t!1e :r0spondonts gcwo chru=.ie 9 pounc1ed hin with the handle of the hoe, lci.ckeJ. nncl punched hin and ti-rice lmocked lri.r1 to the eround. as they also shouted tJ.uef .f t~__,iefl (a dangerous e-esturc in tho con- text of Dar cs Salaan),.. Evidence of this a.ss3Ul t cnr.1c not only from the co:.1- plainnnt but also from PU2 and Pi·T4 11itll r.1i11or vo.rin,tions of det.:i.il. Roi'e:ronco has also been nadc to tho trcat,,10nt c2.rd. u!1ich f om eel. pn:rt of the evidence in tho trial and which speaks of inju:dos over and a1)ovc t!1c ou-t wouna.. This savage attack 1-as wholly unjustified, co,.1inc;, as it did 1 c..ftcr the cor.1plo.ii1ont had boon :rend01~od harnloss nncl rotor !1.0 llo;:l decided to rLID off rather th....1.J:1 puj; up a fit5"ht. The act of persuin.z lur.1 2.ml uoaling with lUJ-:1 in the nannor clesox·i:YJd constituted a crit1inal attack for which tho 18):v pr·cscri1:•es pU,."'lisbnent. I JJ.Q,VC given conside:i:-ation to the spirited suh.ti.:-1sions by Dr. Lm"J11ai. for tho respondents al'ld. have no-'i;ed t!lat the lilce subnirnJioi1.r; uorc Nlopted by tho trial T:18..:,rri s·~rn,te in 1 thoii" entirety, but I have been ui1fortu11n.te in takinc a c.li::?forent view. 1~·.,e Hatters lJ.Drpod upon by learned co:unsel c;H:.10r refloctocl r-.. ncin""<lirection on -~I:o evidcmce or were too trivial to be aZo...v consoquence oven in a crioinal ,;1c:i;-i;e1~. I ru-:i of the settled. vie,i thn.t sufficient and m.:;.tericl cviclencc existed Uj;on which a court i;roperly directing i-'.;cel:Z could hn.ve convicted at least for -~he lesse:r offeucc of cornno11 assault. •• •• ••o/3 -3 In the circUi:1.stc:,nces 9 and. nhilc upholuins tho acquittal for the offence charged, I "'trill, n.s I do 9 enter convic·tion w.;ainst all the respondents for -~ho offence of 0CTJr.10n ess2.ul t c/s 240 o1 the Pcr.a.c."1.l Code. The c1ppcal succeeds tc the..t extent.· IC,. ~1'.. LUG/JCTNGillA JUDGE \ Dn.r es SalMi:1_ 15/1/90. Respondents-: present in pGrson Miss .. Munisi S.A. fer Republic Miss. Mun,isit Ue have no previous :r:Gco:.:d. S.elema.l'li .AJ..;I,,y;i I hav:e· seven chilc.lron anc1 a wife. These ·l;wo are in secondary school. I m.i 59 yea:rs of age,. ThirJ is ;ay Zirst tir.10 to be convicted of rut offonc~• Rashidi Solor.1rous I pr~y for lGnioncyo ± ni.:1 still· in school, .Salli.o Sclei.1airi: I ru-;i 20 yrs.· of aee.. I a;.1 in ray final scconclary school ycb:r. I pray for leniency. sm.rEl:JCEg In sentencing I t.:ilw into nccol,.n-t J.;ll['.,t tho first respondent Solo;:aar.6. Ally is the :fr;~;rnr of the other two :i.·osponrlcn-1:is nnd wa,s -'Ghc moving spiri·b in the violence aeainst the comrlai11Nrt, I should h.._-,,vc expected a. nan like b.i,r:i to shou n. _better czar:iple to his sons, I also consider the fnct that t!1oneh the :renponclcnts have bocn convicted. of n. r.rl.nor oi'fcnco, it Has nggrave.tec1 1Jy tll.o foot that i:ille n:ttr.iclc was l:iy a, conlJinc.tiort o:Z wore thn.n one person. •• 0 ....... / 4 . I Consiclcri11t.; these factors .::rnl Ti2:c.t ~).M °1Jccn said in ni tigation, the responclenJ.;o. 3.!'0 se11t0ncec1. c.s follmrs-a- :f.inccl Shs. 5,000/a OJ:' 6 (six) nonths' i;:.1prison::1ent in default. Rasbid.i Scleaani and Sn.lir,1 Selc□ ri,ni g :Do-th of then clischc.x5Gd to conr:ti. t no· off cnce for periocl of six nonths :Zroi".i tl10 cln.to hereof .• Scle1.1ani li.l);r: I ask :for tir.10 to j)DJ" t:.le f'illGo Courti Selcu::i.;.u Any to pay the fine l)J" 29/1/90.· ) ·-·.,,. -U,,,\ •,1._ '. -~=;::....... ~:::.... ; X. S. lC.. LUGJL°CTNGITIA \t' , .nIDGE Court: Mention be:f;'.ore 11.egistro.r on 30/1/90 to see proc,Tcss. t ' -~....... ~·- ,zt~. . . :::. --~~---. \ '.\j.·; I\ . I\. S. K. LUG/CCIHGIRA .T®GE