By SYLVIA MWEETWA –
TWO Kitwe men who were assaulted by a group called ‘Jerobos’ yesterday protested over the High court decision to sentence the two accused persons to 12 months imprisonment which is suspended for 12 months.
Kitwe High Court Judge Timothy Katanekwa sentenced Cyme Kalobo and his co-accused Geoffrey Vendor who were facing assault and occasioning bodily harm charges to 12 months imprisonment which was suspended on condition that they should not commit similar offences.
The two were initially facing an aggravated robbery charge but the State applied to the court to reduce the case to assault to which they pleaded guilty.
Facts before the court were that the two on August 10, 2015, the complianants Terry Kabamba and Jack Kuchili went to check on their machine at the copper dump site popularly known as ‘Black mountain’ where they were attacked.
At the dumpsite they met Vendor who was in the company of others and an exchange of words ensued after he uttered some demeaning words and later he phoned Kalabo who also arrived at the scene.
The argument continued which resulted into a physical fight by the two camps and later both groups went to Kitwe Central police to get medical forms and later to Kitwe Central hospital where the accused in the company of others followed them and assaulted them.
The court heard that the two accused persons who pleaded guilty to the charge had no legal justification over their conduct.
Mr Justice Katanekwa sentenced the two to 12 months but suspended the sentence which angered the complainant who felt that there was no justice considering that they were attacked while attempting to seek medical attention.
The two said they would appeal against the sentence because they wanted justice.
They also wondered why the court should be lenient on people who admitted injuring others.