A FORTY-FIVE-year -old police officer together with his co-accused
police reserve have been sentenced to 25 years imprisonment with
hardlabour by the Chipata High Court for murder.
Appearing before High Court Judge Maria Kawimbe was Inspector Teddy
Muntanga and Enock Mpelembe Banda 33, a registry clerk at Muzeyi Zonal
Health Centre who were both convicted with one count of murder.
Particulars of the offence were that on unknown dates but between
9th August this year the duo whilst acting together did murder
Rose Phiri 20, a deaf and dumb.
The court heard that the duo beat up the victim which led to the death
her death.
The court also heard that duo had sexual intercourse with the deceased
adding that her private part was bruised and her uterus was also
damaged.
In mitigation, Legal Aid Board senior counsel John Phiri pleaded with
the court to exercise maximum leniency on the duo as they were the
first offenders and remorseful to whatever they did.
Mr Phiri said the duo were sorry that a life was lost owing to their
actions on the material day.
Passing a judgement in a fully packed court , Ms Justice
Kawimbe said it was regrettable that instead a fully uniformed police
officer including a police reserve protecting the lives of the people
they decided to commit an offence.
The judge said the duty of police officers was to protect rather
than harming the lives of the people.
“It is unfortunate that the fully uniformed police officer and a
police reserve who are suppose to protect the lives of the people are
perpetrating the crimes,” she said.
She said it was not disputable that the two beat up the decease which
led to her death after sexually abusing her.
Ms Justice Kawimbe, however, said she considered the mitigating that
the two committed the offence due to extenuating factors.
“Without extenuating factors, you would have been sentenced to death
but, however, I have sentence you to 25 years imprisonment with
hardlabour with effect from 17th August 2016 the date you were
arrested,”she stated in a two hour judgement.
After judgement, a woman believed to be a wife of Muntanga wailed.
Those two i.diots should have been sentenced to death, They are not human.
How about death as minimum sentence for the two thugs?
The two guilty thugs got a lenient sentence. Being a first offender is not a good enough mitigating factor! This has been used in our courts of law as a basis and I am afraid that it is mediocre for both the defense and the adjudicator.
A minor May be excused but not a major whose moral conscientious is mature about what is wrong and otherwise. It is most serious for those who are both duty bound and expected to uphold the law to be found guilty of, especially, heinous crimes. In this case, life imprisonment would have been sufficient sentence where a death penalty is not given.
25 years imprisonment for bruising a minors’ private parts, destroying her uterus etc and killing her! Jurge you are CRAZY… Please resign. Judge you resign or be fired. You are an embarrassment to ZAMBIA, earth, universe and to the CREATOR. The ***** who was wailing must also have her uterus destroyed and … NONSANCE.
Judge you can`t go to any shop rite and buy a life of a human being when you are killed you are gone for ever,25 years is not enough for these dogs,no one is above the law,if a president can be jailed what of a kanyangu,kapokola.The judge who was involved in this case should think twice someone has lost life and for that matter a deaf who can`t shout for help.please it does not matterr weather you are the
first offender or what as long as you have killed some one,it was not the accident they knew what they were doing,and police officers for that matter they are aware of that they have been always at a court.If if i was given a chance judge them i would have killed them.
those are upnd chaps . they should have been sentenced to castration !
What are these extenuating factors which resulted in these criminals get away with murder. I really do not see any factors to justify rape and murder of a person. This judge must have been bought. He must be investigated.
THESE ARE THE SAME PRISONERS WHO WERE REALIZED AND EMPLOYED TO KILL UPND CADRES BUT ENDED UP TO KILL AN INNOCENT GIRL.
The same people entrusted with the responsibility of protecting the public are the ones taking advantage of a vulnerable disabled person. This is a very sad story.
RIP Rose.
This is appalling. The judge is insane, inept and incompetent. There are clearly no grounds for leniency in this case considering that these murderers acted with impunity and killed an innocent and helpless soul in cold blood. This is a cold blooded murder of a dump and deaf person by the very people who are supposed to protect the weak in our society. The sentence must be appealed. Such judgements only add credence to public suggestions that our justice system is rotten to the core. Judge Maria Kawimbe if she deserves to called a judge must be striped on her judge position.