John s/o Johnson vs Republic (DC Criminal Appeal No 23 of 1998) [1998] TZHC 2344 (9 December 1998)

• ... ....__ ... .• -· X!Sli4VAa....r ~ - (<2_1 IN im:, m:<m: Cotral' OF TZA?lfi J· , . AT· 1,lfAr . DC. CP..1.Mll~ ~·PE.al· NO. 23 OF 1998 ¼dnN s/o JomisbN •• i ••••• ~ •••.•••.• .c,l,lJJ:•r V!1BSW s c l. •. •, .• "... . . • • • . • • misro1-lllJ ---· ... ' ·------- ··'----' JU J)Q M E_tl ·' ,, .\i!U poll.ant in this case, J'O J<J!NSON• \llaS eh.1rgcd t,j.th ~ ...... , eonv,.ctcd by tho llietri.c CQw.-.t o£ ?-;.tm!i:ZA ot the of'fenoco of bur0,la,:, .;.n&t ~~1,ei·...;~~ 294<1) a:na 265 rcspootiw:l7 ot thli J:onnl Oooa, lie ,, ~~'Uently eentencod to eight yearj,, imprnt iJ:1 tha: first V'OIA\i t:11,'1~ ,_;... rn,,,s ,.,,...;. ·111a11tif10Winii An thA lllftn 1 >r.d. o.»mi.. a.'llti Mn1lo.PC1U1C ..,.~ tc x-un .con0Ul"i'G1• Dcing aggrieved by that docisicn he; now apJ)Oals •o thifl i,01., naa~-t beth , ()O.l#iotion an4 sentenco. ~. 'f"'\r+"' •• •4i- • c ... , t-,..., ----~ted in 1 J»GM'tl ,.,,,. +"-' 'trial. l)is,trict Court, may ba briefly .stated as follcms, In 'tm: sme.ll · lMU,J» 4t w llloming ( t.o w ,mG'l9 p.,aieo ct 2 a.m.) of the 6th J·e

1997. tb~ l?-\JSC of ~ o~~i ,,.w.i ,Jlif.AIWAI& lmk) vu Oka». . .iail .,.,.a; .. ...,..,r"ar-- worih 0: $a• 459,0t-/• was stolen· tl.o2.''lfl'Olft• i,,u. U..uJ u:m ~ tefJUfd "to the effeot that somQtime in · ,._ "Claa.d .o:£ -:.llo' lno.ghit. ho t:e.v a.wnl'Dnod from his cle.cp by rather odd noi.eG• that tterc <>moUns fr-tm p,,u .. 1•s ho\lse• Be ·ate;.y • and oa.u out to seo 1,b.1-t wa,. Jiappenlng. TheNUpon, he bw;pu d illto tlw appull&Lnt who he foum!al~ the. omdor-. in.ie 1;;:tr,. namely the nppolt . taolc. to hie lXlcls. ne ~ cll~~- .. d.;:,:.~~ ... --·--= ..!.,.~~,1'.,a ,, ·· ·. 'brief chase he and other goo.d -,,.,:.-1;1 •• .., .... , . ~~; the appelJ.Dnt. b appellants defence l-1ns a mere denial. He protesd hia innocenoe by eaying that at tho t1aterial nianent ~ ·wus retu:ming bane and in the prooese was mis-tal;nnly picked by an angry cro·wd that was porsuiilg a thief ~ho camo 011 his \tayi.

Tho tJ"i,al magiatra-te 1iraply diab1t a,4 thG appclJ..a1'1t's venian which he found fabulou.e. 1Ts found P .li ,2 oieclil>le and. on tbi atre,g• of Ju.a ev-U!Ona3 '11-.10,11 bG adi,ly 'belie'!9d. f,Oμ!ld ~ a"6lar.G-'e ll&il\ pNW4 to tho W.~ .,_$111,, 3aPtJ• hti.Uon of .Appeal which is verbose, ~~J.i:i..,tbtii. ex'lJ:eJrie c~.,ta.lia to ·t.ne fojU0.1i1W .P~* ( 1, 1ho o~.aenoa ed by t I'rosecution wi tnocses in st.1pport of tlle chars'-1 la-3:d at lu& door was insufficient to be ~ basis of hiG oonvicti~ (2) 'llic ·trial magistrnto's failu:c to consider tho defence vNion is in it•elf a sufficient ground to o.llow tl n:ppeal. (3) TiiQ ~ri,o,1 --QZ'J. ni,.1.c;ea a l'Oaso11qble doubt as to hi& 1t d tJic P..fle - e,11 H i- ---tll'~J.l.: '.!',. ·,du:a,_ tf cour1: ,no a re su1 t., 'lbo .oaee :tor t.l:ae ,;poM.ont/»~ a• .-i,X'lsentcd b.t X,:. litlpn<lw, Staw -Attoxney, who supported th{.; conviction told the i 4bat- the appeal b.Qe boon lo'1{§:,d. without sufficient gr « com;._:,laint. It ia hie• aubmisuion that there ie a i4G1:1'ble ~ t>f in'Csistable and. caal G'ld.t~ ..,,t th0 .appellan't. aw.~ m-i-ot1 the oo.ttt to d:i.Sllti.os tb.e appeal on its ontity-11· ·:l haw lllly consiwnid the vvidence on rooorc. O:nd I a11 ~~7 uu.ficd th.:t -t.:,.:;. cvilkn 1:...·r ·,.Qttiblibh;;;;d 'boyOM»~~~ ~ M•'-',1..JaoU&c wa,;. on tb... JX;;1oV;,lllt date burgled. and u 1-ator was · stolen 1-cfran• '!'ho basic ist\£ ie wbothcr the cVidcno;;· . oetwUhod that ~ appcll$t is cul;pcb !Qr ~ 11• thot n?C laid at his door. 'tho only onco imp-ricatiDt him with tho said incident i~ that of P.11.2 'lhc tr-la). mngiatratci fod I' .1; ,2 to 'be truth:f\ll encl h<>mat. Bo cU,.a'bQlicwC: tJ: .. :;;, opl,X)lla.nt's dof;no;; version. This iG , point ot feet. 'lbis 00.iit lw,e stad time and o.gain that no principl<.:i an cppoal ooun ehO\lld not iniicrl'QJ'O .dl nP,p<,,al ·d'th findirl£'S of n trl1-ll court basod on tbc el'Cdibili'ty of wi t~•HOth 'rho rationa1o being that the trial JIICgi.strato,

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unli'ko th~ cr,,u,j;•i on .PP'-'al, b.:lct :th£;. e;z-....a.t 11ch"llllt~~ Oi scuinc; £tnd lwari ··- · --~ Iii fJ:iss0s in tllo. '~~c., honcw tw -trial oourt ip ,, ix;tt-or ju on ,, the dQmQ!.t~ Of b WiVlv~~•. (Seo Fl:}.\ V: R« (1957) :;.1,.. 336 and .lJ.li. -1<< v. 11. <1984} T.t.n: 11.;-r •...... __ '--:C.: . . . . . . ,,. ------- ,._ ....... , .... ~ t1(, llt o• f~•a ,wditi, Ar>· a ·wi tn,;so in .. coutt·--- .... _. _ . ~~~~ ~ 't roriult, th.. 'k4 qill <m.gibtl:.l~.,. ., ·· - .:•,t · ,,.le'rl-y j,n Jnr Vi<.iW QCptc.cl him Q,S a 1 tmsa ~ trutL. 1,., ctl.~~lJ", ·· jo;i.n hanc;.s t,ith tho .. lcrn.:d. ·tr; . .;l fl'.ogistrnto tl:.i:\t. th<.. <1....1:f'- story · · wo& n.ot onl-J :f,:.buloua :Wt V1!Z1 a. c1-- ~ ,:i !1~¥)£· <' · ln ·;;,; ,:,vq.t, l £JC1 uii,J::.J..;. to £...ul.t. tJ.c ducia·ion -oi the; ot>!:"io oourt. l ·tl1.o:i;-ufo;·c upholu ... ~ .• ,ffil1Il the conv:i.ction. l no1; ·tm.ii to tll" scntcr.:(li., ~~"- "l,1on t.b,i;i. OPl?"; lJ;-. 1, whicb. 111it1;1d_11 A tho oooi~.)Ji1c;tiol'. o! ib4 ~~ Tb.G l(,,j~~d ecntonoin,::; m.:,r,ist.r.itc Ana-,,1. t.:,L. np'.i;X,llont to c;i..:,b:t ce; years i1I1:r,,risonn,q1:~ .. ill r..o.t .Of . ' .... -th9 off chCQ of' burgl"'ry nncl to 01 yut-r imp1·ieonmcrrt ir~ ;opc.;ot of tho. thof·t .cbct'go• 'am# tbv :1prllant bad boon cor.tVictccl of a ~~ otte11~ (30c tl:1'1 'V;lnim\111 Sonton~ ,Aot, 1972) the scnt 1 ..;r1a;: 1m;posod is .,; 1 OQTV'llt• l."i J_a ,-. lμ :t'Qe[:i:Ci. i,b.t l &.c to 001".l:li:nn tb;:..,-10;,.ica:;1® :i;iii,sud \1{10n ·bhG cplluut. rs, T -Q~~~ -.,t ~~.(]" ~ . 'of cif{b.t yc,,.,s imprisonmont .nc:; ~~ilis,i.t ~~<>fa 01ttonco of t1 ('5) ·. yoa1J1n:-ir1orn;,,.mt in 1sfH.;c·t o:e tho fu·&t .e !!:u sontcnce shnll · n<rn/,u·i:;,ntly with the,t of. one ,c;o.r ih 1'0.a,P'-'Oi tJ;t t.:.;.; ~ ~ .,., d, l lw-.;JiXI. 1u:vJ.i.o.ta,:dzP4. lt is. I> -0'10(U:.d. ·,,, DLLrJTur£]}) ct T'll!GA thia 9th &.}" ot fuJnbor 1998 in tli,, I,iwscnc,.1 of the CctUGCC' 't'd.,o fo in pCJson DJ1Ci. r,ir. Rutogwcl'Olo, s:n:1.oi· St.:::w A-Uo,.,,..y, for the };,:;;Jtc.:.;l::..c/Ik spondc11-.t,. •. I { J .J. J.iKW:t!~ JU.r.GE.