The Kasama Magistrate Court has sentenced a 22 year old man of Nondo Village in Chief Nondo’s Chiefdom in Senga Hill District to six months imprisonment with hard labour for escaping from lawful custody.
Before Kasama Magistrate Chapson Silwimba was Kangwa Mulenga who was facing one count of escaping from lawful custody contrary to section 119 of Chapter 87 of the Penal Code of the Laws of Zambia.
This is in a matter that came up for presentation of facts before the court.
Facts before the courts were that on an unknown date but in November 2025, at around 17:00 hours, officers at the correctional facility discovered that the convict was missing.
The matter was then reported to Kasama Central Police Station in November, leading to the apprehension of the convict, who was already serving a four year sentence.
In mitigation, the convict pleaded for leniency, saying he escaped from custody to visit his grandmother who had sustained a fractured leg.
In his plea for leniency the convict assured the court that he would not repeat the offence.
In passing sentence, Magistrate Silwimba said he had considered the mitigation and noted that the convict pleaded guilty, thereby saving the court’s time.
Magistrate Silwimba however, said the offence was serious and carried a maximum sentence of two years imprisonment with hard labour.
“In sentencing you, I have considered your mitigation and the fact that you accepted the charge without wasting the court’s time. In exercising leniency, I sentence you to six months imprisonment with hard labour, to run concurrently with the four year sentence you are already serving,” he said.
The magistrate warned that should the convict escape again, he would be sentenced to two years imprisonment with hard labor.
He then sentenced Mulenga to six months imprisonment with hard labour and stated that the sentence will run concurrently with the four years sentence the convict is serving.
Since you insist on “lawful custody” define for us “unlawful custody”