Sat, 02 Sep 2017 12:32:18 +0000
By Chintu Malambo
THE Lusaka High Court has convicted a 32-year-old man of Jack compound for causing the death of his ex-wife’s lover.
Felix Nonde was alleged to have murdered Jasper Mweemba on September 29, 2016.
Nonde appeared before High Court Judge Charles Chanda. He was initially charged with murder but it was reduced to manslaughter.
Evidence before the court was that Nonde slapped Mweemba when he met him with his ex-wife, causing him to fall to the ground where he hit his head.
Mweemba was then rushed to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.
In his judgement, Justice Chanda considered mitigation passed on behalf of the accused and said the prosecution had failed to prove a case of murder but that of manslaughter.
“I have come to an inescapable conclusion that the prosecution has failed to prove a murder case against you, Nonde but an offence of manslaughter.
“I have taken into account what has been pleaded on your behalf. That you are a first offender who deserves leniency of this court, that you are responsible for the care of your three children and that you take care of your aged mother, and so I will show leniency by passing a minimum sentence,” he said.
Justice Chanda, however, slapped Nonde with three years’ imprisonment with hard labour.
