TWO KABWE TEENAGE PUPILS GUILTY OF MURDER

07/07/2014

TWO teenage pupils in Kabwe have been found guilty by the Kabwe High Court of killing a 32-year-old woman in November 2012.
The pupils aged 16 and 18 sexually assaulted and murdered Anna Chabala on November 28, 2012 and were facing one count of murder.
Ms Justice Elita Mwikisa, however, reserved sentencing to August, this year, awaiting a social welfare report but said that it was clear that the behaviour of the juveniles was dangerous.
“After hearing evidence from both parties, it is clear that the two juvenile convicts were the ones who killed the woman gruesomely and took advantage of her drunken state which is a sign of bad behaviour and that they lack respect for elders,” Ms Justice Mwikisa said.
The State called seven witnesses during trial with Richard Phiri testifying that on the night of the murder, he saw the two teenagers dragging the woman from a night club.
Another witness Aretha Mafinga told the court that the mother to one of the convicts informed her to tell Ms Chabala to stop having an affair with her son.
Arresting officer, Albert Chama said he was handed a docket to investigate the case and that he found the woman’s body with no underwear and had a deep cut on her stomach and that a knife was used in the act.
He said it took more than a month to apprehend the second accused person and later jointly arrested them for the offence of murder.
The two juveniles denied committing the offence during their defence.
The16-year-old refuted insinuations that he was flirting with Ms Chabala at the time before she was murdered.
The juveniles claimed that they did not murder the woman despite being the last people seen with her.