4 get death sentences for murdering teacher

LUSAKA High Court judge Petronella Ngulube on Thursday sentenced four men to death after convicting them of murdering a teacher last year.

It was alleged that Abel Mkandawire, Zuba Mkandawire, Passwell Mkandawire and Friday Mwendalubi on February 27, 2014 in Lusaka jointly and whilst acting together murdered Henry Kampamba, a teacher at a local school in Katuba area in Chisamba district.

The accused pleaded not guilty to the charge.

Delivering judgment in the matter, judge Ngulube said the prosecution in a bid to prove its case called ten witnesses and among them was Jacob Mhone, who testified that on February 21 last year, he had a drink with the deceased and another friend at Club M.J on Great North Road before they were attacked.

Mhone had narrated that as they headed back to their respective homes, one of the accused (Abel ) attacked them and later threatened to kill Kampamba.
The court heard that the accused person continued to threaten Kampamba through text messages.

Further, Mhone testified that when he visited the scene of the murder, he found blood, a payslip bearing the deceased’s name and his wallet.

Another witness, Cindy Chongo, had told the court that Kampamba was her boyfriend who had complained about the threats from the four accused.

She had testified that at one time, she went to visit Kampamba in Katuba where he taught at a local school, and he showed her the four men whom she identified in court.

Judge Ngulube said the wounds inflicted on the deceased, according to the postmortem report, showed that Kampamba was stabbed three times in the neck, in the head and had a cut on his right arm.

“I am satisfied that the only probable consequence of such an attack which caused grievous bodily harm by the four accused was that the deceased would die and he actually died,” she said.

Judge Ngulube said the prosecution had proved beyond reasonable doubt that the four accused killed Kampamba and had malice aforethought.

“Based on the foregoing, I find all the accused persons guilty of the murder of Henry Kampamba and I accordingly convict them of the offence of murder as charged. I direct that all the four accused persons be hanged by the neck until they are certified dead,” said judge Ngulube.

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