Woman escapes from Kabwe court

bia by mitia on 6/20/13

By SYLVIA MWEETWA –
THERE was panic at the Kabwe magistrate’s court on Wednesday when a woman facing a shoplifting charge escaped.
The suspect had appeared for plea before Kabwe magistrate Mary Simpungwe and gave her names as Mavis Kunda.
However, the magistrate ordered that the case be stood down as she recognised the suspect as a second offender and was certain that she had not given her real names.
The suspect was led outside the court where she eluded police officers and vanished.
She had appeared in court for shoplifting in Shoprite and is alleged to have stolen some goods which she hid in her handbag.
The suspect is also alleged to have hidden other goods between her legs but was caught by security guards as she was leaving the shop.
Efforts by police officers and prosecutors to trace the suspect whose real names are Anne Kunda Mwaba proved futile.
Female suspects at both magistrate courts have no holding cells and usually seat outside under guard by female officers.
In a related development, a man in handcuffs facing house breaking and burglary charges escaped from a police station.
This was after an officer recording statements briefly left the room to collect writing pads.
On his return he was shocked to find that the suspect