Man Jailed For Biting And Raping Friend’s Wife

A 37 year old fisherman of Mwanamulila village in Chief Kalimakonde’s area in Mansa has been sentenced to 25 years imprisonment with hard labour by the Mansa High Court for biting and raping his friend’s wife.
Ndola High Court judge Petronella Ngulube, sitting in Mansa recently, jailed Mundele Machipi after upholding his conviction for rape and assault by the subordinate court.
“I have perused the record from the court below and I am satisfied that the conviction was correct and appropriate.
In the circumstances, I will, therefore, proceed to pass sentence,” Mrs Justice Ngulube said.
In the first count, it was alleged that Machipi, on August 29 last year in Lunga district, had carnal knowledge of a woman without her consent.
Particulars of the offence in the second count are that Machipi assaulted the woman and occasioned her actual bodily harm.
During trial, the 21-year-old woman told the court that on that day, she was home alone when Machipi visited her.
“As he was raping me, he threatened to kill me with the machete if I shouted,” she said.
The woman showed the court the bite marks on her body inflicted by Machipi when he raped her.
In defence, Machipi said he had consensual sex with the woman because she owed him K50 for some groceries she got from him.
“We had agreed that I will have sex with her so that I can write off the K50 debt she owed me,” Machipi said.
He said the woman’s mother charged him K5,000 for raping her daughter but that he only managed to raise K400.
He testified that the matter was later reported to the police.
Proceedings in the second count were stayed after Machipi’s conviction of rape.
Passing the sentence, Mrs Justice Ngulube said Machipi put the woman through a brutal and traumatic experience that she will live to remember for the rest of her life.
“I will, therefore, sentence the convict to 25 years imprisonment with hard labour with effect from the date of arrest,” Mrs Justice Ngulube said.