Abdarahman Abdallah Magosso vs Republic (High Court Criminal Appeal No. 36 of 1990) [1991] TZHC 2064 (19 September 1991)

MSU,d, J: THL J STRI•"'.'.'." co~::T Ol<' ,;, •. 'lL .. 0Y0 l,T B.AGA;1:0YO :a.2?0RL: z.o.;,.o:;;::_ .. .c;::-;s.". J_/:.iLGI::.:TRiiTE .1r':AILA.:,.,: . .::· ; • .iE": ... l.J.H 1,i.i.GO;.; 30 ••••• 11.?PEL.1.,Ll?: ( ORG. 11CCUS.11iD) THL RLPU BLIC .•••.•••••••••••• , H.1:,S..20.ND,t;:t;'.I' (ORIG. PROSBCDTOR) Appollant is currenly &orving a entance _f 15 yeaJ'S imprisonment meted t hi □ after ha was 0nvictel Jf Atteptad hobbery c0ntrary to section 2G7 0f the Pbnal Cue. T~~ 0ffence is alleged to haTe been comittud on 3ri Decebo 196 ut it as uptil 31st Jul: 1989 when appellat wus f0rually ctrge b8fJre the·Jurt. The &vidence a~~uo~ by th~ fros0catin shws that ,·: the Material day compls.in..:..nt, w:1 7 is .:. i? :lie.: ..: ff i-.-.'.'lr, :i,rnrsud the ar, ,_; llant and other pers.:.:ns wh;· 11JrJ UE>j,J.•:-:;:::. -:f r:b'tin.1 a .f Jreign c·· 1:·le whieh appellant st J}l.JOd an;_ ::loci fa .i t., c ,nfr ;nt his i.:;ursuer. : .. the course of the ensued strueele 3ppellant kick1 tha c ,plinant bnd tried.to snatch the gun fl·.:1..1 hii..J, HG ·,,,su; 1 . .1/iJVGr 1 (lVJc.::Jwerod : y other policemen v.-;.'.) tit:.el,Y 1;.s;:rn :at:t t. "'.18 r.:.h.rm raisG:1 by ,_ 'lt colilplainant. ·t -· ~ In fact apellunt was i~~~~ilisoi bY baing st n tha ltg• In his ghrt afiirJ tasti~~ny apallunt refut&~ th~ allegati_ 1. His version uf th.::: st....,ry is thL:Lt .m ts·10 :iaJ in qu08ti ,n, w{1i1. frolicking about in the streuts h0 nnsi f1r no B?p&rnt =1sn, st)p: ei by two armed p0licJsn including th~ c~ □ Jl&inant. ]e as tld ttt he was un1er arrc8t anl whn hG resistcl they sht i 0n the leJ Ij; is not true, as asserted by tha C8GJ1·:innt, that ho attewgt~ to snatch the g"tn fr0""' hiii.i. .My br-:.. ther J1_.,_.!gc Wal-> ad..::,i tLJ thEJ alJpea: lini ted, correotly in my view, that b~,ne othor ttings, tho court iP ··o onsider whether the ingrc:J:b.rnts ..::f att0wr;te 1 • r .'Jb8r.Y wGre' 2et,.'1lir.:h,.:;. SectLir1 287 .:.f th.:s P_nc1.l (, __ i b:::o , a0n ro,2uaLl by .l'•ct ~ t,.wber 10 f 199 &n:i re1,lb.c0:, b.Y a n8w •>Jctin C.J.ns.:..Jting .,f tw,, st.:. 1,:ections .. Susecti.,n (1) of tne ~ 1 -..;ctin ,? .. ,J.c.1 crutes t ,1.. ..n'fence :.;f ..,.tt.t.tlted rJbbery )r:viies:- ••••• ,.12-

2 1 i2::.7-(1) ,.i1J purs,r1 ·;;h:, assaults uny ,;,:>0rs,.m with in+, .. rnt t · st21. c.njtl1ir£.1_ an::, at ·Jr i-u0iiat0ly bcfwr~ JT iuu8liately aftar the tL,J Jf aSSUUJ. t' us,as JT tnrec:. tene tv use o.Ct'IA.al viJlencu t) an/ ars 1n Jr prJparty in :xler tJ :.,btain t>::, thin i>:tan'lG'l t: be sblen-1· Jr t,J prvent :.:r Jverc·:)CO r,:isistanco t·, its being st?lon, is cuilty :fan offence, an! is liable to ioprisonment fJr a tar ;f nJt l0ss than seven years and not exceeding twent.Y years, with c:,rp.Jral punishr:ient". (bru:t)hasis Su:;_.; 1 ;li...;,.). · Ia essencf::l, the 0ff13.ace ,.:,f Ltttcipt.:.:l r-oi.wry inv;:ilves the us :.,! !o»8e with a )W:_t).:ise Jf ~ t cui.,L:i t. S;) f Jr ti1e c,:mvictLm t.;.; stand i.n this oaid pr·:>sE:cuti::m haC.:. t;;, &:,t.:.:.:..,.ish, inter alia, whether when the adellant fJrcibly trio to sntc the gun frJm the c;:implainant he · · i'ntended to steal the sni:..). Th9re is n 1 d.;ubt in tbo present ase .. that ,ppe1lant tria1 t satch tho un frJ the coaplainant by sing } Jree, Hw\et·, I aw fur fr:;;:.1 bei:i _; c .nvinca 1 that appella :it intendel to steal tho sail gun. Wh2t is clJr fr~~ the evi1an•a is that appellant was resisting arrest anl !n s iaing he tried t~ disarg the cmplainunt in the furttorance 0f his escape. The c -rictin o! a ttei.1pted r Jbbtry cann::·t th1;;ref ·,re : tan:l. l..t')pellant was trJing t: run aw:...J fr);'" th,:; ar.:,1 Jf the :.aw. • I' He was tJ ba apreheniel 0n su~~ici n that he had rbbad a rreig eouple. T~ facilitate his scape aJallant assaultel tha 0Jlainant · I. ,. ane:. trieo. L (l.isur.~ ni;:;. 1Jn(L<,r S.:;c-:.:..n 243 (a) ...,f thG .i?cJl.,li Co::ie av . •I pers )D wh, assaults anJ i:}Jrs .. rn with ·.ntont t.:- resist the :'.awful appl'eha.,o ... is guilty fan ffonco an licblo t l)ris,nJnt fr fi,~ years. The ' \ revidenco a·railable in the prGsJnt c~.,-~ c.L:·erly ostablishes ;his of!enee• I aw ·'Jf thJ -pinLm that assc,.;,2 t is ; .: .. in :r off.:rnc.:J t, 1 attet .tec1 roqb,e.J.);• in this case is t.{J rnhed. ari'd! '':r ,; eu'beti t•ting theret;, ,in t0:rL:s ::if SevtLn 300 (2) Jf the Qr l· :inal Pl'~ ae Jlet, appe11·nt is c.mvictui :f •.:..,-1,;..t .)u. .. .:..3habL with fi'f'e ;·ears.'s iLi.cirson@ent c:;ntrarJ tJ 8ectL;n 243 (<.i) .>f tl1e .r:'0.11al C..):J.e. Let me briefly say SJething ab~·1t the s0ntonca of 15, e1rs iwprieonent ete JD th aJellant. It w0uli aJear that 1)is sentSn•t· wae imp.;,se..l in ter:.is )f sectLn 207 ( 1) .. f tl1e rHnal ~ J.:e al , r:lu1'kl,gatei ( ; by 4ct Nuber 10 of 1909. Th0 secti1n ,rJviies fer a minimu sn~ente 1 of seven years iru,..)ris:.-,nwent an-.: a raaxi.:JUfu :;f t1i >1ty years fn ;he o,f:renee, of a tteupte:: r:ibbary. B-.it b,d :.,re th..:: 2rn:1ct;:;e1,' ,f this sec ti. r,, a t\em,Pted robbery was punishabla by a ~uxiLl cntonce Jf furtaen years .upriso eat. Aet Nuber 10 of 1909 beca~~ ~~~rativ• in MLJ ~~39 an~ a?pellat~ 1$ alleed t) have oo:.jwi ttcd tr:·:, :ff0nc0 n 3/',, · -.. f J.i· punishins the • .• pet~a•t _ co:.:initt(')· ·zania ••;-: ·, ·f, ...

3 11 13(6) Ji,r the purp0,·ie1..1 Jf ensuring eq·..1b.li ty before the law, thJ stta shall make provisions:- (a) •••.• ".,.fl~,. .... · ••••••••••••••• (b) ~ •.•...••..• ~ ·,. , .•.•••..... o •••• o (c) no pers0n shall be ?Uhished for any act which bef0re its CJwwission was not defined as such offcn10~ and ho yenalty i~?Osed for uny ::riwinal o·ffence shall be heai.·ier than the JOnblty in force at the time the offence was co,.;u:,it-tod.," (the un:lc.Jrsc0ring if: wine.) ihe sentence icposed in tii~ case is wall abo-e the a,imura sentenee of fourteen years iJris0nwant pr,vilc~ unler the repealed proTision, The sentence can also b8 faultel fJr contravening Section 49 of the Interpretati.rn ...,f Laws ;;.rid. GelJeral .LI.Ct (•·ct NJ-30 of 1972' which says,- ,'.49. v,here an act consti.tutes an offence, -:!nci. tlw penalty for such offenc0 is acned between the tie of the bowwission of uch offence and tte conviction therefor, the offender shall, unlo as i;1·:: c-.rntr:1::·y intention appears r b<:: lti..able tJ tbG l)enaltJ p1·.Jccribc:'. at the ti:ue of the COi.1:ission :Jf such offoncc.," It woulcl a:p_Jear that un,:er tl:is section an •ct cen )r,Ytid- for sentencing of acuse! ersons in accorancJ wih the aJen1ing proTisin notwith- standing that thG :Jffenc8 w1:.,.P .-1,·-1,::·'.: ... :,, ' ::~ .:.. : • ..; ........ ..;.::, i :t was enacted. With respect, such Jvision uli cJntra7ene ricle 13( i)(c) hence bad for bein 6 unc.)cstj4;1.;.ti0n:, F;)r t:.:if3 1 • I r.··_bLit that :l-·e _legality of But evan it we are t h0l. that it was ~rer fJr the CJurt tq convict tho aJpallant undDr ta now pravisionj till the s(tence of ·· 15 years is illegal as it wc.s :-utsi:le t:10 sentJncinr, _;)Ower : 1 · the court. ection 170 (1) (a) uf the Criin&l 2oceiure uct atorise. subordinante court to i::.,p.)se a sentence '.)f ir:1;ris::>11, .. ,ent n:)t exceedifl.g fi 3 years or a sentence of iupris0naent nJt oxcuoding eight years for ). fences falling under th& Minimu,· 1 \ .... ::ces •ict. li'.)We7or, this rest: j ,tion is without prejudice, SJ says subPection (4) f seotia 170, to ~ 1e provisi:)ns of any written law atliorising a saborlinate co"."'.rt J:o i~;ose in relation tJ any offence specifiod in scch written lv. a sentence in excess of the sentences ;rJviled for in that subsection. Like the ol 0ne 1 the new sectin 2G7 of tne P8nul Cue does no~ confer on the subJrdinet~ courts exteniei ,ow Jf sentencing. s~ the J c0urt in this case c :)Ul - :mly i:.i:;: ::ise t:- 8 .Jini..:u;:1 :.,en tence whioh h seTen yoars :.,r 8.t ::1,,st ·2i.'-:ht y.:. ... rr-. :: 1 r;-:-J..:.:.1ont.}"'.. ·:1it'.1 ::::erd.::ct:::.ry cor1oral pun is½ 1s ~t .,

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• 4 As I A,.d-l, a convicti:m of .ussi:.ult Punishable vlfith fi-te year's I □ prisom1ent C'.)ntrary to rwcti.:n 2.-U (a) Jf the Penal Co::l.e is he:reby substit'.lto:l fJr the c.:rnvictLm ;)f •tteu)t-a.::l Kobber·y'. To date appellant has alrea.::ly served two years The Llaxi@uQ sentence f0r this offence is fie years, ~~pallant is therefore sentened to jail for sub a taro which wi:l result to his immediate·release. 19/9/91 Foi the Republic - Mat~p2 For the AJJellant-~baent H. A. MSUMI JUDGE IT rs A TRUi COPY FROM THE OF,IGINAL. ., I •· 1·