Mdabi a/o Issani vs Republic (Criminal Appeal No. 66 of 1990) [1991] TZHC 2390 (19 July 1991)

IN THE HIGH COURT OF TliNZi:NIA AT DODOMA CRIMINAL APPE."u, NOo66 OF 1990 (FROM THE DECISION OF THE DISTRICT COURT OF SINGID.A AT SINGIDA IN CRIMIN/i.L C.\SE NOo427 OF 1989.) MD.ABI ISSiUI • • • • • • • • 1o • •.,. • • •. • • • .11PPELLM VER.:;11S. 'l'HE 11.tm?Ul3LI C ••• • •••••• • • • • • • • ••• • REdPO)l'J)llNT JUDGMENT The appello.nt Mdabi a/o Issnni was cha.reed and convicted with the offence of !l.SSault causin~ o.ctual bodily ham c/s 241 of the Penal (.,::de Cap.16 by th& SJ.neicla Distnct Court in Sinsicla Rec;ion. He wr.s sentenced •· :i three years ioprisonnont •. He is now appealing against convic..:.on and. .i.·1-3 prosecution cclsc at the trinl w 3 s as fallows. The cooplain.:mt Sita. cl/o Mlula.(PW.1) who is ~ youna ;,:Ltl, o 26/10/1989 at abou1i 4.00 po. was proce8din tQ •ber hooe ville of J"l.:mG1c1a. fron so.fari. Just before reaching her hone villo..c;e 9 it is so.id she W."',s asked to -stop by the a.ppelltm.t11 As she kn!FW the a.¥pella.I?-t well as a. fellow villace,..n,1te, she stopped. Then it is J3.l-,id a.ppollant detmncled ex £ron the conplaimnt n.t +.he spot wher hef ete stding, Na.tu.rn.lly the coopln.inant refused t that sucgcstion., The refμsn,1 a;.moycd the aJello.nt .:ind so he beGnn '·,:i .".';.-.,,lt. the coQilip.g.nt, Jt is said. the coupln.in:mt w,1a hco.c',.cd twice by the appellant :m.titii she fel+ down. -While she was lying down it is said the aj?pcllnl):\ foniinucd to ;nsa.ul t her with his hMcls. The conplo..in:mt --~ · c::"1 -"'1 oJ.o.:ro. and two pcrs9nm arrived at tho scene first and soi:ic others arrived late~~ ;trlon 0 those who rcsJondcd to the oJ.n.ro was one Esther d/0 . ' . " (P 1 1 2) ri.J.(LQ. ; • • li.ccordtntr to P:v.2, ~he found the n.j.)::)ell::i.nt ass::i.ultinG the 8onpla.in:mt. vfh9l1 she t1;ie4 t0 intervene to se:;)n.rate the n.ppell::mt froo conpla.ina.nt, it is .so.id the appcllMt turned on this witness whon he 1 - hit h<::'r with his hco.d. The witness fell clown :md bccc..: .· powerless. Luclcly one person Nyc;r:orc s/o Thss:,n arrived ::inc: rcscucx.1 both the c-..:i:7J1lnint ::ind PW.2 fron the puniohr.1.::mt ,:ictccl out t';' the O.))cll:m.tc (

2 The cooplD.in.:i.nt rci)artcd to tl1.o police and w2.,:3 sent to· hosvita.l. The oadic:i.1 report n PF. 3(Exh.ii.) state thn.t conploino.nt susta.inod ordina.ry ~ consisting of- sproin of tho wn.ist ;:mscles, nusclc pa.in · 1 ),:ti.n • ht l It on zy.1<.::;onst1.c aron. .:ind· aus o .·-· -- . ✓ on tho r1.c scn.pu :::i.r n.rci.::i.. . w::i.s not iht evidence th[l,t the a.pJcll:m w~s arrested 1d chn.rcqd. In his swam ovioncc- ~t the tri::w. the O.JJcll;.nt·presontou an • I alibi. He cl.::i.iuvc1 that o.t tho. r.1.::i.tori.1,l ti,1e,, ho w:J.s nt his hone holpinc his father Iss:--.ni s/o•'rviuno. (D 1 :!.2) to. build .:1 house. He e::1phn.ticnlly doni~~ to ha.vc had n.osa.ultcd· the co;:1pl:.1inant. He s,-.ic1 that ho w.:i,s just sUr_pi;iscc1 when he w.:1.s ce1.1.lcc.1 a.t Ilon3oro Police Station c.ncl u.okecJ. to settle the natt·or with :tho coa;)l,'.1inant out of court. · 1:-r:lwn ho refuncd to settle out of court, he W[l.S sent to c::>urt c..nd ch;::i.rgoc1. Like the trial court I on unable to fo..thoD out a.s to why the ev,:1j)b.in::tnt and PW. 2 should. have decirleJ. to fr::-.no u:.;> the a.:i_YJelLmt. It is not in . ·' clisi)ute that conpln.inr-nt sust:tlnd ··ac:tunJ., 'b.xlily hn.n.1 on tho na.terial c1.o.,y • The question G.t tho trial wa.s who c1i<l perpetrate tho crine? Both the conpla.in:.tnt o..nd PH.2 n;)ec1 the o.pp01lc:nt ns tho culprit, who is their vilb.e;0-r.1::i.to., The a.~Jpollant w::i,s o. fo; .. ulia.r sicht, as he is their villn.50-r.10.te .:md so the question of i:ust-:i.ken identity could not a.rise in the circunsta.nces of this c:::..Jo. .\t tho trial, tho appcll::tnt could not suc;0

est 1 cny ro::i.son a.s to why tho co;:1plo.innnt ond P 1 :.' • 2 should fr·i.::ie up the appollclnt. Nor c.1ic.1 the O.}.)p0lLmt su 0[ost any ro::i.,son for the fr:1ne up in his ner.1orCU1uun of a.ppe:il. 0::1.ly c.lurine; tho hearing of tho a.::;iJ0ol, c1icl th0 n1 )pcll:mt sui:;r:cot the rcci.uon for the fru.L.1in 0 up ond that ar(?SG only cl'tcr the St;::i.te Attorney Mr Nclui1::~ru sub:tl ttccl tho.t there wo.s no c:::.usc for the fr,:Jc up. Tho a1)pelbnt o..llecocl th::i..t tho trial uacistr::tc is o.. boy-frionc1 of tho co::iplain.1.11.t md th'1.t ho lnd previouGly qua.rrdcd with tho brother of tho conplaina.nt,, Obviously t:1:-.t w.:-.s on o.ftorthoucht, othcrwioo he oh:ml(;. have r:1.iGocl tho;:i n,t tho trinl. In ~1.y ca.so P 1 ! • 2 roua.ins unscc1thol:, ,,s·.., :mcv she .. n1Gt have spoken the truth at the tri.-:i.l. Be thc..t ;:is it ;·.1:J.y, I an sci.tisfiocl tha.t this n.lJ:)e:1.l iG without ncrit. The scmtonco of throe yoc.rs inprison;Jent w"s definitely stiff; but by no nc-:ns excessive. . ..• /3

,> -'I- ♦ . . . ~ ' 3 Tho o.ppollJ..nt hs to rccoiv-:: th0 junt closort for hio b0.rbo.ric bd1.aviour of asso.ul tine innoc0nt citiz"'n::.:: ::10:.1b.::rs of tho wo:::J.c0r sox at tha.t In tho event tho O.Pi.JC'.U is dionisoocl in i to ontirdty .• ,, Orucr accordingly~ --· -_::::::--::: .. :=::.:::.- ':: ; -- - ·:J1 _,Mfc,------ :~ j J .L. M'/.,.LUS.,iNY.:.. E 1,9. 7 .1991 .. . COURT .Ju,'.10nt cl0liv0rdd in ch::1.,·.1bors in t,l10 pros:.:mcc of the nppcllo..nt oncl Mro N·duncuru St:1.to 1·1ttomoy for tho Republic • ___ .. -- ~~ ' ~ ..- ::-)1 (.,l'N'r ........ ~ ... ~.,. _________ ----4 ;." # '· (} ' J • L • M'.:! ,iLU 3.:JIT A ,. JUDGE 19. 7 .199-j I , ( :· ... ,._ . .. ' ~ .,,.. .. ,......._ ·- (.cu"·• II.; -<,j. -,·.1.)'. 1:, ,., . ''",. . ,, . c,•r .. • ..,,,.. '•f .. .... ! •. . '; \ • " ·,. ... •' '.