Rapist Goes To High Court For Sentencing

The Kitwe Magistrate’s Court has committed a 19-year-old Grade 11 pupil to the High Court for sentencing after convicting him of raping a 23-year-old woman.
This is in a case in which John Nyirenda of house number C1 Copperbelt University (CBU) Complex was charged with rape.
Particulars of the offence are that Nyirenda on June 8 this year in Kitwe, had unlawful carnal knowledge of a woman without her consent.
Nyirenda denied the charge.
Delivering judgment last Friday, magistrate Kampinda Chipamu said the evidence against Nyirenda is overwhelming and that the woman had no reason to falsely implicate him.
“The offence you have been convicted of carries a minimum sentence of 15 years, which is beyond my jurisdiction. I commit you to the High Court for sentencing and you will present your mitigation there,” Ms Chipamu said.
During trial, the woman recalled that on the fateful day around 15:00 hours, she was on the way to Progress Hospital when she asked a pupil for some directions.
“I met a schoolboy and I asked him if he knew the route that could lead me to Progress Hospital but he told me that he would take me,” she said.
The woman narrated that Nyirenda allegedly took her to a path leading into a military barracks and that when they reached there he demanded K2 from her for reaching that far.
The woman responded that she did not have small change and she only had a K100 note.
“The area was bushy and there was no one, he kicked me and I fell. He squeezed my neck and threatened to kill me if I shouted for help before he undressed and had sex with me,” the woman said
She said some soldiers from the barracks came to her rescue and apprehended Nyirenda
And Richard Mulunda, a soldier, testified that he was studying within the barracks when he heard someone screaming for help.
He narrated that he suspected that someone was being raped or defiled and he phoned his colleagues and they went to check what was happening
“Five soldiers came and we went to the crime scene and we saw a man on top of a woman and we apprehended him and took him to Kitwe Central Police Station,” Mr Mulunda said.
Nyirenda was charged and arrested for rape.