By Makokwa Clara Muyendekwa
A 17 year old juvenile has pleaded not guilty to assaulting his peer at a bar in Mwapona compound of Choma Town.
The male juvenile who appeared in the Choma magistrate court before Magistrate Muyambango Munukayumbwa made the court record a plea of not guilty after earlier admitting the charge.
In this case the juvenile stood charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm contrary to section 248 of the penal code Chapter 87 of the Laws of Zambia.
Particulars of the matter are that the juvenile on January 2, 2022 assaulted Sailus Maliko at Choma District of Southern Province.
Earlier when asked by the court, the juvenile had pleaded guilty to the charge explaining that he was provoked by the complainant.
“We were chatting with my friends and Sailus passed in the middle and stepped on me but refused to apologize and just pushed me,” said the juvenile.
He also said he did not repeatedly beat the complainant but just used his fist once after he was pushed, a situation he said made him react.
The juvenile who just wrote his grade nine examinations and does not know his results yet, later changed his mind and pleaded not guilty of the charge, making the court record a plea of not guilty.
After spending three days in custody, the juvenile applied for bail which Magistrate Munukayumbwa granted in his own recognizance with one surety and K2,000 cash.
The matter has since been adjourned to January 18, 2022 for commencement of trial.
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