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Judgment

. t . r SISYL. J.:. Dif TJ:1..J IIIGI~ COUTIT OF Tli.NZlJ\l'V . .i'..PPELL.~~T::J JURISDICTION HIGH COUilT CRDUH/1.L Jl'PD..:.L NO. 6 OF 1988 (ORIGINAL C~~Ui:IDC.L C,;l.S:J NO. 81 OF 1987 O]' 'IDE DISTllICT COURT OF IL.IlD:illlH DIST:UCT ilT H..D.i!D:ill!.U) R.:..->ro~~l:1!1 J.M.;B. MFOKO ESQ... PRilrno D/M1GLSTP~~'i.TE ZUBERI fiiOP':J.I2DI • o • o o o • o o , o. o. :l.PPELL.ll:JT ( ORIG Di.U. ACCUS:illD) TED RE.PUBLIC • • • , .• o • •• • •• o o o • • R!i.SPOlIDIDTT ( ORil!IDl.U. PROS.) J U D G :ill r-1 E N T:· Tho 0,ppcllunt wa.o cil:,::;cd 'I'd th c,nd ho wo,s convicted 8ft two counts of 13u.r glcxy ( Count I) and Stoo.ling ( Count 2) conu-o;r:y to Section 294(1) ~~nd Section 265 of tt8 Poncl Code, rospeotive.ly~~ Ho wo.s soniionccd by tho loo.rnod P1.•incipnl District Il'.io.eistro.te 1 Hn.:ndoni 1 to fivo yom•s i;np:dso11.m.ont; on tho }3urglary Count and to ono yoo:r imprisoni~cnt on tho Stoalirie Counto Scntcnoos to ra.n concurI'ontly. Ho J·.as now appaalcd to this Court. The f'c.cts uhioh the loo.med t:rio..l mngistro.te found established show thn.t on t'J.o 11.ight of l5:th/l6th Scptombor, 1987, a dwelling houso ocou;piod 1::-y somo B:usaitm Q:q>e:t"ta wa.o h'rokon. into a.t Kwnmsisi• 'ml.rec jtoms, namely two bo.ttcries, ono bn.ttcry charging moohino and o. cin;ma. p:ttojootor, a.11 valued o.t sl1S 1 26,ooo/ .. , wore stolen therefrom. T1 tho ooursc of tho invostigo.tio11S it tro.nspiI'ocl thn.t the o.ppo1 J.r,nt ~~in.a suspected to, a.t lea.st; lu:ivo ta..kon pn;d in the aimo. On 26°'h Scptcuibcr, 1987, tho cppello.nt's house wci.s plG.ccd undo:..' tl-:r, vigilla.nco of .c. mili tic.man, one Ho.midu Iligoc.~~, :ponding ci :,cc.:ccl1 which wc.s yet to be conduotod, theretn. Suddenly, t]::.o n.ppollo.nt klltocl out o:f his house while eu:t'l'y:i.JW 0, ba.ttory cmd he diso.ppoo.rod u:L th it in the noaxby bush. Lo.tor, th.1.t so.mo dGy, tlic a.ppollo,nt ,rc.s mTcstcd. li..ftor somo i:ntorroga.tion

2 ... tho d.ppollant led his cn.pto1s, ono of whom wno n. Policcmn.n 1 into the bush whQ:i:'o a. bcttory wa.s found ar:d rocovorod. Tho so.id ba.ttcry (Ex.Ji.,.i.) wnn idontifiod o.s being one of tho two which wo:ro stolon on tho mn.toria.l night :f:t>om the Russic..11 0xp8"1:'ts' house .. Tho, a.ppollo.nt rn.isod tho gonorc.1 dcfonco of denial. Ro stD.ted tho.t he wa.s o;rrcstoa., a.ppa.rcntly, fo1 no 1.02-son n.t o.11. He wns taken to his houso which wn.s then soG.I'chcd. Nothing wo.s found,. La.tor he wo.s tQJccn to tho bush whore the 1:)n.ttory wC1S, so to so.y 1 pln.nt0d on him. Tho a.ppol1G.i-1t co.llcd one w:i. tnoss, tho Uard Secretory of Kwar:iaisi, one i..lly Juma. (DW 1). ..:Uly sw01,o tlla.t ho .-Ti tncssod tho acm-oh which was conducted in the house of tho o.ppol1n21t a.nd ho confirmed thc:b nothing, prosuma.bly of interest to tho en.so unG found. • .... Tho lomY1cd t:riol mngistrnto a.ccoptcd tho Prosocution story and ho :re jectod tho c.ppella.nt ts dofonco. ..l.pplying tho doct.rin0 of recent poascf:lsion, tho loa.rnod tria.l ·mo.gi:!:tra.to fou.'1d tlm:t th0 .::.ppcllo.nt woo t:w parson wLo broke into the houeo in quostio11 a.na. stole tho a.r·tj_cl.cs thorofi"'om. In bis pcti tion of a.ppo~'.l 9 the appGllnnt re1.isos only two aubata.ntivo g".l'ounds nomoly tho.t PW 1 lied n.nd, thorcforo, ho ought not to be bolievcd a.nd, secondly, trot tho ovidcnco of tho riQ;Td SoorotOJ:>y to tho of'foot thc,t nqtbing W,B found in nlld ro,eod from tho house of tho nppello.nil 1,us not ooneidarod by tb.o 3.etl,t"nod trial ~~istra.to. :Bogi.nni.?!6 With tho latter· Point, I bzlston to point out thr~~t tho ooq,ln.int is llbaoluto\y- lnsoloss. Tho le1U'llod trial q1au-o.to w ~ ~ met.. ot _, v.. ....,, • .ne1Ul!od. "1' ato.tlng ~ tho o:c'£eot lb$ tho Gill!lo did not odoo ~ rota.rd the appolla.ntts ~~a.s0 ovon on 1Pcl1t Tho loo.mod trinl m~~stra.tc oJ.so pointod out ti:..:.,,t in tbo light of the cvidQnoo of PW 1, who swore to mvo so-:::,1 '.t!:10 o.:ppollnnt disa.ppom- into tho bush with th0 bo.ttory, f.::.ilmY t:::i find tl:.o 'bnttory insido tho a.ppollant 's houso did not 1°c,j_so ::n;;r ronsono.blo doubt in his mina, Indocd~ it could not in tllo mi1;.cl ::>f any :roc..so1w.blc mru.1 • •••• /3

3 ;,.. On tho first point tho issue fa :purely toot of credibility of 'tri. tnossos. Tho lco.rnod triu.l rnc-,gist:ra.tc a.ocoptcd PW l 0-G a. wi tnoss of truth. The loci.mod tz-icl mo .. gistro.to h.o.d the odvtmtago of seeing a.nd hoo:ring PW 1. I ho:vo not h.D.d. thc.t opportunity myself• .'::.t a.nJr ra.tc, on tho t1c,to1~~ia.l a.vu.ilo.blo I ca.n11ot say tho.t:; in o.ciccpting tl10 ovidonco of PW 1 ?-S true, tho loo.:rncd trial mn.g:Lstrc.te crrc~~ PW 1 suoJ?e tLc.t when tho o.ppollant cam0 out of his house ho pushed PW l o.nd J:1cm.:i.god to ra.n o.wa.y with tho na.ttory. Tho cvidonco of PW 1 that tho a.ppollnnt ho.cl. tho battery WM supported by tho evidence of PW 2 o.nd PU 3 both of whom swore th-1,t the a.ppolla.nt WrlS tho poraon who lod t!1om to tho pla.oo whore tl:o ba.ttcry Wcl.S fouru.. If tho a.ppcllnnt wo.s not tho poo.-son who put tho ba.ttory tb.CI'c than, how 9 one mcy o.sk, did ho know of its presence Ul tl5c; bush. Once tho Prosecution witnosaos woro bolicvod then, indeed, tho doctrine of rocont proosossion applied• Only ten do.ya hc:i.d pa.sscd since tl10 brooJd.ng nnd o. tto.ry of Exh,. A'a type is 110t a. thing eu.pa.blo of changing hands quickly. The appellant completely fc,ilod to give .:.n ;:,ocount o.s to how ho cnmo by tho bo.ttcry. Tho prcsunption t:10..t the a.ppcllo.nt l'ra.s ei thor tho ~~tw thief or a guilty i•ccoi vo~~,:-, tIoroforo, still stnl'ld.S unrcbu.ttoa_. / On my ovc.luntion of the ovidonco tho cvldonco in this co.so suggests tho.t tho n:p:pollmit wa.a t'.:10 a.ctunl thief or, J.t tho very least, one of severe;)_ thieves, o.11cl r;ot c, roooivor. lfoodloss to say ll.o could not h2.vo stolon tLo tl:iYlt.,~ wi tl:out broo.king into tho house in which tho tbings 110:ro and which, o.s 2.. matter of fo.ot, wa.s found vn.11da.1is0d, T:.:.o conviction on 'bot].1 Counts is sound in law and tho sc1mc is ho1~oby u,-p;:olde Turning to sontcnco, t!:o loa.rnod tric..l mn.gist:ro.to 9 quito ool"Toctly, o lx::OFVod tho.t tl.:o off ~nco in Count I is scl:odulod 'W'ldo:r tho IHnimtUil So11toncos _·.ct 1

lf..mt tho lom'nod t1 .. io.l mv.gisti~~a.to clo~~ly o·IT~~looL:od wa.s tho fo.ct tha.t the offence of Stoa.ling in Count 2 too is Schadullod under tho Miniraum Sontcncos i~~ot, 1972 .§£9.. item 3 of tho First Schedule to the l1inimum Scntoncca ~~ct, 1972. Tl10 m-ticlcs stolon woro property of tho •• ,./4 .. ..

4 Cotton Authority which is o. specified o.utho:rity under the lo.w, i.e. M.S.,1. Since the vo.luo of tho stolen c~~ticlos wa.s in excess of shs.5,000/= tr..e o.ppropria.to sontonco wo.s fiw yoa.zas impriso:nnont. Since the l1epubl~~o 4id not o.,ppeo.l on this point I exercise m.Y powers in revision to cor:cect the illcguli ty. The Sentence in Count 2 is 9 nccordingly, corrected to o. sentence of fivo yoo.rs imprisonment. Th:i.G sentence will stnrt ra.nning fror:i the dn.te of conviction o.nd it ,;·rill :;~~rm concur•rently with tho sentcnoo imposed in Count r~~ ..:Ul in all this. a.Dpo3l f~ils nnd it is hereby dismissed. hosents lYiwalo, Senior Sta.to il.ttorn-.: y ..:'l.ppolla.nt in p0j"'son ,5th ~J.ugust P 1988.

Judgment

2 ... tho d.ppollant led his cn.pto1s, ono of whom wno n. Policcmn.n 1 into the bush whQ:i:'o a. bcttory wa.s found ar:d rocovorod. Tho so.id ba.ttcry (Ex.Ji.,.i.) wnn idontifiod o.s being one of tho two which wo:ro stolon on tho mn.toria.l night :f:t>om the Russic..11 0xp8"1:'ts' house .. Tho, a.ppollo.nt rn.isod tho gonorc.1 dcfonco of denial. Ro stD.ted tho.t he wa.s o;rrcstoa., a.ppa.rcntly, fo1 no 1.02-son n.t o.11. He wns taken to his houso which wn.s then soG.I'chcd. Nothing wo.s found,. La.tor he wo.s tQJccn to tho bush whore the 1:)n.ttory wC1S, so to so.y 1 pln.nt0d on him. Tho a.ppol1G.i-1t co.llcd one w:i. tnoss, tho Uard Secretory of Kwar:iaisi, one i..lly Juma. (DW 1). ..:Uly sw01,o tlla.t ho .-Ti tncssod tho acm-oh which was conducted in the house of tho o.ppol1n21t a.nd ho confirmed thc:b nothing, prosuma.bly of interest to tho en.so unG found. • .... Tho lomY1cd t:riol mngistrnto a.ccoptcd tho Prosocution story and ho :re jectod tho c.ppella.nt ts dofonco. ..l.pplying tho doct.rin0 of recent poascf:lsion, tho loa.rnod tria.l ·mo.gi:!:tra.to fou.'1d tlm:t th0 .::.ppcllo.nt woo t:w parson wLo broke into the houeo in quostio11 a.na. stole tho a.r·tj_cl.cs thorofi"'om. In bis pcti tion of a.ppo~'.l 9 the appGllnnt re1.isos only two aubata.ntivo g".l'ounds nomoly tho.t PW 1 lied n.nd, thorcforo, ho ought not to be bolievcd a.nd, secondly, trot tho ovidcnco of tho riQ;Td SoorotOJ:>y to tho of'foot thc,t nqtbing W,B found in nlld ro,eod from tho house of tho nppello.nil 1,us not ooneidarod by tb.o 3.etl,t"nod trial ~~istra.to. :Bogi.nni.?!6 With tho latter· Point, I bzlston to point out thr~~t tho ooq,ln.int is llbaoluto\y- lnsoloss. Tho le1U'llod trial q1au-o.to w ~ ~ met.. ot _, v.. ....,, • .ne1Ul!od. "1' ato.tlng ~ tho o:c'£eot lb$ tho Gill!lo did not odoo ~ rota.rd the appolla.ntts ~~a.s0 ovon on 1Pcl1t Tho loo.mod trinl m~~stra.tc oJ.so pointod out ti:..:.,,t in tbo light of the cvidQnoo of PW 1, who swore to mvo so-:::,1 '.t!:10 o.:ppollnnt disa.ppom- into tho bush with th0 bo.ttory, f.::.ilmY t:::i find tl:.o 'bnttory insido tho a.ppollant 's houso did not 1°c,j_so ::n;;r ronsono.blo doubt in his mina, Indocd~ it could not in tllo mi1;.cl ::>f any :roc..so1w.blc mru.1 • •••• /3

3 ;,.. On tho first point tho issue fa :purely toot of credibility of 'tri. tnossos. Tho lco.rnod triu.l rnc-,gist:ra.tc a.ocoptcd PW l 0-G a. wi tnoss of truth. The loci.mod tz-icl mo .. gistro.to h.o.d the odvtmtago of seeing a.nd hoo:ring PW 1. I ho:vo not h.D.d. thc.t opportunity myself• .'::.t a.nJr ra.tc, on tho t1c,to1~~ia.l a.vu.ilo.blo I ca.n11ot say tho.t:; in o.ciccpting tl10 ovidonco of PW 1 ?-S true, tho loo.:rncd trial mn.g:Lstrc.te crrc~~ PW 1 suoJ?e tLc.t when tho o.ppollant cam0 out of his house ho pushed PW l o.nd J:1cm.:i.god to ra.n o.wa.y with tho na.ttory. Tho cvidonco of PW 1 that tho a.ppollnnt ho.cl. tho battery WM supported by tho evidence of PW 2 o.nd PU 3 both of whom swore th-1,t the a.ppolla.nt WrlS tho poraon who lod t!1om to tho pla.oo whore tl:o ba.ttcry Wcl.S fouru.. If tho a.ppcllnnt wo.s not tho poo.-son who put tho ba.ttory tb.CI'c than, how 9 one mcy o.sk, did ho know of its presence Ul tl5c; bush. Once tho Prosecution witnosaos woro bolicvod then, indeed, tho doctrine of rocont proosossion applied• Only ten do.ya hc:i.d pa.sscd since tl10 brooJd.ng nnd o. tto.ry of Exh,. A'a type is 110t a. thing eu.pa.blo of changing hands quickly. The appellant completely fc,ilod to give .:.n ;:,ocount o.s to how ho cnmo by tho bo.ttcry. Tho prcsunption t:10..t the a.ppcllo.nt l'ra.s ei thor tho ~~tw thief or a guilty i•ccoi vo~~,:-, tIoroforo, still stnl'ld.S unrcbu.ttoa_. / On my ovc.luntion of the ovidonco tho cvldonco in this co.so suggests tho.t tho n:p:pollmit wa.a t'.:10 a.ctunl thief or, J.t tho very least, one of severe;)_ thieves, o.11cl r;ot c, roooivor. lfoodloss to say ll.o could not h2.vo stolon tLo tl:iYlt.,~ wi tl:out broo.king into tho house in which tho tbings 110:ro and which, o.s 2.. matter of fo.ot, wa.s found vn.11da.1is0d, T:.:.o conviction on 'bot].1 Counts is sound in law and tho sc1mc is ho1~oby u,-p;:olde Turning to sontcnco, t!:o loa.rnod tric..l mn.gist:ro.to 9 quito ool"Toctly, o lx::OFVod tho.t tl.:o off ~nco in Count I is scl:odulod 'W'ldo:r tho IHnimtUil So11toncos _·.ct 1

lf..mt tho lom'nod t1 .. io.l mv.gisti~~a.to clo~~ly o·IT~~looL:od wa.s tho fo.ct tha.t the offence of Stoa.ling in Count 2 too is Schadullod under tho Miniraum Sontcncos i~~ot, 1972 .§£9.. item 3 of tho First Schedule to the l1inimum Scntoncca ~~ct, 1972. Tl10 m-ticlcs stolon woro property of tho •• ,./4 .. ..

4 Cotton Authority which is o. specified o.utho:rity under the lo.w, i.e. M.S.,1. Since the vo.luo of tho stolen c~~ticlos wa.s in excess of shs.5,000/= tr..e o.ppropria.to sontonco wo.s fiw yoa.zas impriso:nnont. Since the l1epubl~~o 4id not o.,ppeo.l on this point I exercise m.Y powers in revision to cor:cect the illcguli ty. The Sentence in Count 2 is 9 nccordingly, corrected to o. sentence of fivo yoo.rs imprisonment. Th:i.G sentence will stnrt ra.nning fror:i the dn.te of conviction o.nd it ,;·rill :;~~rm concur•rently with tho sentcnoo imposed in Count r~~ ..:Ul in all this. a.Dpo3l f~ils nnd it is hereby dismissed. hosents lYiwalo, Senior Sta.to il.ttorn-.: y ..:'l.ppolla.nt in p0j"'son ,5th ~J.ugust P 1988.

Zuberi Mohamedi vs Republic (High Court Criminal Judgment No. 6 of 1988) [1988] TZHC 482 (5 August 1988)

Judgment

Discussion

Zuberi Mohamedi vs Republic (High Court Criminal Judgment No. 6 of 1988) [1988] TZHC 482 (5 August 1988)

Judgment

Discussion