By JULIUS PHIRI –
A THIRTY FOUR-year-old man of Petauke District in Eastern Province has been jailed for 35 years with hard labour after being convicted of defiling a four-year-old girl.
Francis Mumba of Mtilizi Settlement area appeared before High Court Judge Mwila Chitabo who is currently conducting high court sessions in the provincial capital.
On September 25, 2014, Mumba was found defiling a four-year-old girl in a nearby bush after her father and mother had left for church.
The court heard that the convict was caught red handed by a passerby around 16:00 hours on the material day before being reported to the girl’s parents.
The matter was later reported to Nyimba Police Station before the girl received treatment at a hospital.
Mr Justice Chitabo said Mumba should serve 35 years behind bars in order to prevent would-be offenders.
In the same court, a 23 year-old man of Balule Village in Chipata District was yesterday jailed for 25 years with hard labour for raping a woman.
Mr Justice Chitabo also sentenced Lemison Phiri, 27, and Gift Banda, 26, of Chadiza District to 20 years imprisonment each with hard labour for manslaughter.
Initially, the two who killed Thomas Zulu between January 1 and 7, 2014 had been charged with murder before the case was reduced to manslaughter after amendment of the charge.
