By Esther Chisola
The Lusaka Magistrates’ Court has sentenced a Lusaka man to 18 months imprisonment with hard labour for biting off someone’s finger on the right hand.
And Mumenuka said Satan influenced him to bite off the finger
Christopher Mumenuka, 27, a wheelbarrow pusher was facing one count of grievous harm contrary to the laws of Zambia.
Allegations were that Mukenuka on February 22, 2023, in Lusaka unlawfully caused grievous bodily harm to Rabson Kalumba.
Magistrate Mbuywana Sinvula found Mumenuka guilty upon his own admission.
In his mitigation, Mukenuka said he did not know what was using him and asked for leniency.
“I am asking for leniency. I am a father and taking care of my sisters’ three children. I have learnt a lesson and will never repeat what I did. I don’t know what was using me. Satan entered me,” said Mukenuka.
But magistrate Mbuywana Sivula sentenced him to 18 months’ imprisonment with hard labour.
“I have heard your mitigation and that you deserve leniency as a first offender who admitted the charge. But the offense you committed is prevalent and I have to punish you to deter would-be offenders,” ruled the court. “I sentence you to 18 months’ imprisonment with hard labour from the date of arrest. This sentence does not preclude the complainant from seeking civil litigation against you.”
Facts in the matter are that on the material day, the complainant and his colleagues were patrolling at Intercity bus station when they reached at Puma Filling Station, where they saw a man commonly known as Mandevu (the convict) urinating on the wall fence.
They approached the convict and warned him because he was drunk and left him to go but a few minutes later, he followed the complainant and started to insult him.
Then he pulled the hand of the complainant and bit his right little finger and amputated it after it fell in the drainage and the victim started to bleed profusely.
The victim’s colleagues apprehended the accused person and took him to the police.
Under a warn and caution statement, the accused person admitted biting the complainant thereby amputating his little right finger.
