Christopher Mutenda Kasonka v People (Appeal No. 20 of 1989) [1989] ZMSC 133 (7 November 1989)
The court found sufficient evidence of provocation to reduce the conviction from murder to manslaughter.
Source-derived case information.
- Citation
- [1989] ZMSC 133
- Parties
- Appellant: Christopher Muyunda; Respondent: The People
- Court
- Supreme Court of Zambia
- Jurisdiction
- Zambia
- Case Number
- Appeal No. 20 of 1989
- Procedural Posture
- Criminal Appeal / Judgment on Appeal
- Outcome
- appeal allowed; conviction for murder quashed; conviction for manslaughter substituted; sentence imposed
- Legal Topics
- Murder, Manslaughter, Provocation, Appeal
- Source Language
- en
Source-derived case record
Summary, issues, holding and outcome
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Parties
Christopher Muyunda
Appellant
The People
Respondent
Procedural Posture
Criminal Appeal / Judgment on Appeal
Legal Issues
- 1 Whether there was sufficient evidence of provocation to reduce the offence from murder to manslaughter
Ratio Decidendi
The court found sufficient evidence of provocation to reduce the conviction from murder to manslaughter.
Court Disposition
appeal allowed; conviction for murder quashed; conviction for manslaughter substituted; sentence imposed
Orders
- Conviction for murder quashed
- Conviction for manslaughter substituted
Full Case Text
Judgment text and source record
1 paragraphs
·I I •' . . .. . ·_ ; : . . .· i •' . • . ' I • '•• •J~ - ' ' • ... • l , j t I • • I "; •t • ... , '\,~"t .,' t .ir, ~ ,• •:~',..." . . ·: · · · · IN· lHE SUPREME· eouar·-OF·:·AZAMB1A' 1/~~:(·,, ;tr . ~1.1r;App~a·~t No~.'20:'1c)'i1989 .' .. : i · Nofden · at Lusaki · · · ,. ·i• ·i : s R n~T-& ~~t. Thti- ~aA-sttti~ 'f;i;r a~-· fa ·-~ast.~d · • · ·-.~- ·\· ,r. t :., ~r- (Cri11lnair Jurlsdlctlon)~tit-u·t~ :}, ~onvt~tl~~. Lf?r''ni.~~l Uf!~r .. ·. ;· .... :,_ ·,· -> .. .y· .. ;i,:'." _ _.;,:· ,•,' :ff:'L~f.lt;u ~i s~t ~ide .. ·r,;» .. ~f.-S~~i1¼1?3P ~~'tl,F~i~ •. ;.:.:•,i,· 0'·1~· ·~,..,,:i~, ;~i"t<l" ... ~1 'tl'@Oii;i.1 .'a $Qli~~ ~ fl~ .j~lfrfil~~m(.-. ·:; .. · -:~ . .. , , . , , : : . c~~~ST9f~~:. MVJ'ffll>~.1~~· s~~~Appelllni·.'· . , . ' · .. ,tf..!r" \ · · . . . . • I ' . .. . . •Y~ THE ·P~OPLE . \,\<:.;t:gii;i(\/' ·, .·i., .:: / . · ·. : .. . · ., .. · ..... ··/•:j.:/ .. ; .. ,.::_ .. ,.· _/··:·;: .. : :,:--- ·. : ·.-.::::_· :· ._.)·.: ·. . . . :7th ·ifov .• r~"':i19a9. :: . ' ·., . ·:·.; : .. ';:· . .. Re$P9Rdant . . · .. '. · : ~· :. . . : , • • ., .. \ . . COIWh Ngulube,' D. C. J., ·.6ardner., ~ •. S.;i·and/1 Chaila~ J. S. · . :- .... -~ ~-----.:.. . . . . ' . . . . Mr •. s. K • . 'ft.ln~1li. Senior Leg4_1 tA~d1~CQunSt~•:•lfor.·the' 'appel~an.t , .. Mr. J. Mwanachongo, Seri 1 or State \ Advocitt, ff ~r..;' th-.. ~tate · · .' , . ...... ~ 'f""'t' , - ..... ••. . 'ytl . ! • . . . • I • • .• i,o .. , .. ti; .. fl, •~ · ♦ •~ ~:,4: ... •"• ll . \ ,•-' ~ • ', ,; , , .'•, 1 : :•• :, : ; , .. . ,. • .. . , : . :·. . ' . : ' , : . ... • ••• • • 1 . . . . . . Gard_ner:AJ."S., dellv~red ~• _J~ t of·,h~--~~-u~y,_:: ,):_ -~- .•. <-,:_'.:_· ·_ .' ·._-:-_ . . . . . .· '.. .. ' · . The·_appellant wa-s convicted of lriur.der·, · t~e: par,t·icuhrs• ~f;~he · :..: · . charge being that he, on the 15th"·of·' September/.·191;37 ; .. at· Kaoma .. · · . ·: . _fn··~h~ Ka01na Oistri~~ ~1-~_- murd~:AQ~~~~ql~_( :Jl~ .. _.·._-:: .:-'~ :· ·.;~ .. ·::: ~--: . . ·-=-·· ,!,!!. ... . -.. . The : prosec~tlon evid~nce wa{that t'h_e: appellar)f'~ad: quar.r.e,lled . ·. I . . . ':' ._. -~:·,:·:<:"• ..... ; ·.:. :-: .. :'.- ',,:·: · .7 : •• ,~. • ...... t:!!:: .. . ' .... . . • •. ',.'. _, •• .· .. with his \dfe and on the aventng of tht .d.,_y r~f~~re~r:'t.o . 1n the _ . . charge. neighbours hetrd·, the wife, n,aw th• :de~~a-~ed/ _c~lii~g. ()U't";' •, that she had been sta,bbed wtth I knl.fe ·by ht,r l:lu~band .• ' l:.he appeliarit ·. I did' not give evidence ·on oath 'but 'he· dld -'make a statement to the .· ' ·,· p~llce w~lch was . .admitted •n evid~nce. rh' J~at .,st~tement .·th~ . .. - appell~t admitted that hehad_quarr.elled~with p.his .wife and that ·. . : · ·. she ha~ provoked him t~. sueh ·an~~teotai~,t .he ·1ost···h.is··temper · · : : ·. ,. :: --~•~:.~1!! ::_.:--.... · r . . _.:-. .. _:~:.~7.~~-~t and thre~ _a knife at her. _:· · , · '·· )",!>. •. . . · · .. . : · . evidailca of provocation, · a~d he, ttlerefore,- · co~·v1cted the appell.ant · .. . . . .·. -·~-·, .. ' ' .:·.ef,.: ,:~.::·. ~ -:. ~' :: . . .. · '; : : : . ,' ·_.., for murder.· . . . \:, , •-~ · , :---'\• • . / •_,-~!- • ....... , \: ,. ,,1. .. ,.1, !, ,;"•""',{ ...... . , ~.,. . ., -; • .. w M.r.. Munth_ali. has argue~ .1~ hi~:ground~ .of, appeal th~t . ther:e·. . · · · was evidenc~ of provocation to reduce the of.fence ;o o.11e of. Jilaosl'aughter. : . The learned trial judge fourid that there was Jnsu_fficient ·_ ' ' . . . . · . . · , .. , .. . ,~ . .. .,,. ~..l• ::,c<!;,:~ ,:("'I"- . , ....• ,~. ,-"'• ·,'. r'Y~. '"i''n"' -i!l• • •,/ff. i t ~Rf •. ~ .;i.--: >, • ~ ·•·· ,.i. • ,f\~c...,: • \ ,r,-:.i~. . ; .• , •, .. : _ . • ;·l>;)!~·,t, . ., . ~ ···"~,..;h'~,,,. . , ' · · · . II, . I• . ::· .... . -:. · ' · , • ••• p ~ '·. • . • •.f. ,J • • . . · · . • • ~ · · ... • • . . . . ... : , . . . .. • • . \ . ' :\' I : . . ' Mr. Mwanachongo on behalf of .the State has·,ii:.~.ery p~per~Y .. indicated that the Sta~e does riot $Upport _the c_onv:ic~~o.n_ for the ; capit al offen~e of murder. We ·agree· With bot~-; cou~~l · that on . th!!·: . : . ·.. . ... . .• __ _. •. • , , ,' , • ,• . • :; .r . ''.: ••--.~~:_::._-,~• , . . ~ - • · ••• I JL b-~ - ~. '· . - , · •·. ~• •- ... . ----! , . .,.._.-.-.:_ _ _ .. '12 .- . . ·::. '.:, facts of: thla: case~· :thtt:e)fJl~ivtdenct ~f: svtfl,ct~:provo~atioi.~~~: · .... ·: .. . ·:: · ~ -~ • t~-~~-~rg• to one of •n1.l_1ughter.· . .. ;., .. : _, ' · , ' · • ~ti~Cfi· :,:-'(, The IPPffl ls 1Uowed. The -. Wlctt~' for ~rit~r.' IS .qr,ash~- .. _-' " \ Ind In tts. place.'w, ~,ubstltutt • ~nvtctton, for . NflsJ,u_ght•r~·,. The original sentenc:.e ls set aside·. For the .::_sµbstiwted 'COnVl~tlon for inan.$laughter __ w1e ,_1q,_os,. ~ ·. •~\.f ~!-r-,~~!{~~. -;~a.i~· \re,tJ~nt with hard labour wJth effect ff'OIA the 17th Qt Sept•er.~1987. "' r 01•.'· •♦. :;··;. "" .,~. ,..'J '1;. ' ·. ·: •. _: .. ·. · .. •;.'. ·. • " • ~ . ,• • • I . I · , • , I I I . I I . . I '. I I I , I i .