By PERPETUAL SICHIKWENKWE –
THE Court of Appeal has upheld the death sentence slapped on a Mansa resident who murdered his son and faked that he had committed suicide.
Meanwhile, Judge Flavia Chishimba yesterday upheld a death sentence of a Mansa farmer for murdering his wife.
Ms Justice Chishimba said in her judgment delivered yesterday that Freeman Chipulu would have to hang by the neck until pronounced dead for murdering his son Alex Makanta, 15, in April 2012.
Chipulu was initially charged with his wife Gloria Musonda who was convicted and sentenced to 20 years but was given a presidential pardon.
The couple murdered their son and put him in a hanging position to look as if he had committed suicide.
It was, however, established that the child had no marks and was found in an almost kneeling position.
Ms Justice Chishimba said there was circumstantial evidence linking Chipulu to the murder in that the deceased was found in an apparent suicide position but almost in a kneeling position with no marks on his neck, no hanging out of the tongue and his eyes were closed.
She said the boy died of head injuries, ruling out suicide as the cause of death.
Ms Justice Chishimba said the evidence on record was enough to draw a conclusion that the child was murdered.
Chipulu, however, appealed against the ruling to the Court of Appeal, which yesterday dismissed his appeal on grounds that it lacked merit and upheld the Mansa High Court decision to sentence Chipulu to death by hanging.
Ms Justice Chishimba also upheld the death sentence of Mwape Kasongo for murdering his wife.
Kasongo murdered his wife whom he was on separation with and dumped her body in the cassava field with a note on his chest that he had killed her because of his mother-in-law.
Handwriting experts confirmed to the court that the note, which was found on the chest of the deceased, was written by her husband.
On the material day, Kasongo had approached his wife to find out whether she was going to the field and followed her.
The wife never returned home while Kasongo disappeared for two days and never reported for work.
The body of his wife was discovered two days later in a cassava filed.
Ms Justice Chishimba further said the fact that Kasongo decided to remain silence when there was incriminating evidence against him was a sign that he was guilty.
Ms Justice Chishimba upheld the Mansa High Court’s decision and dismissed Kasongo’s appeal.