By MARISA MWAPE –
THE Kitwe High Court has sentenced a 23- year-old student to 15 years imprisonment with hard labour for aggravated robbery.
High Court Judge Dominic Sichinga jailed Matthews Ngosa of Ipusukilo Township after finding him guilty of one count of aggravated robbery in which he attacked a patron with a screw driver on the knee and got away with goods valued at K1, 300.
Ngosa, who gave his occupation as student, was charged with three counts of aggravated robbery but the court acquitted him on two of the counts.
He was accused of being among a gang that was armed with an AK 47, a pistol, a screw driver and a wheel spanner and terrorised various pubs in Chimwemwe and Bulangililo Township on October 19 last year.
Two of the criminals wore police and military attires and threatened to shoot the patrons if they did not comply with the directive of lying down.
The assailant got away with money, cell phones, an amplifier and beer from the drinking places they terrorised.
Delivering judgment, Mr Justice Sichinga noted that the evidence of Gloria Mabuluki, one of the complainants who were attacked, was consistent and reported the incidence to the police immediately the attackers left.
He ruled out the possibility that Ms Mabuluki might have made an honest mistake in identifying Ngosa as her assailant because she had an opportunity to see the accused person earlier when he went to order a beer from her.
“On the totality of the evidence, I find the accused not guilty in count two and three, there was a deliberate attempt to mislead the court from the prosecution witnesses, I, however, find him guilty as charged in count one,” said the Judge.
The court noted that Ms Mabuluki testified that she was attacked by six men before closing the bar and that the incident happened between 19:00 and 20:30 hours.
Mr Justice Sichinga further noted that from the evidence, the witness was hit on the knee when she attempted to call for help using her mobile phone.
In mitigation, Ngosa through his lawyer said he was a youth and had learnt lessons from the time he was incarcerated, that crime did not pay.