Lawyer uses Bible verses to beg High Court to set free murder suspects

Rukwa. Independent lawyer Deogratius Sanga used the Bible verses as one of the convincing factors to beg the High Court Sumbawanga Zone to pass a lenient sentence against two defendants, who pleaded guilty of manslaughter.

Before the court’s Judge Thadeo Mwenempazi, on November 19, 2024, the lawyer cited the Bible verse Luke 17:4, which states that; “Even if he sins against you seven times in a day and seven times he comes back to you, saying ‘I repent,’ you need to forgive him.”

It was stated in court that on November 23, 2021, in the Matanga area of Sumbawanga Municipality in Rukwa Region, the defendants, Ladslaus Richard, 54, and Raymond Kizila, 62, while doing local patrol, caused the death of Ignas Bonventure, whom they apprehended in the middle of the night.

The court heard that the accused beat Bonventure, who eventually died from excessive internal and external bleeding, according to an autopsy conducted by Dr Elina Yesaha.

It was reported that some of the defendants were arrested that same day and after investigations were completed, the National Prosecutions Services (NPS) charged them with premeditated murder under Section 196.

However, when the charge facing them was read out to them on August 19, 2024, before Judge Thadeo Mwenempazi of the High Court Sumbawanga Zone, they pleaded guilty.

Before the sentence was passed, the Prosecutions had requested that the court mete out a severe punishment against the defendants to deter others with similar intent.

On the other hand, the defence lawyer had begged the court to pass a lenient sentence since it was the defendants' first offence and they had confessed.

After the submissions from both sides, Judge Mwenempazi said he believed the time the defendants had spent in custody was a lesson for them, and therefore, he was setting them free on condition that they do not commit any criminal offence in a period of 12 months.