News / National
Jail escapee wins appeal against sentence
29 Jul 2017 at 09:45hrs | Views
A man who escaped from lawful custody and later got arrested and jailed for 7 months has successfully appealed to the high court against the sentence.
Bulawayo High Court Judge Justice Lawrence Kamocha recently ruled in Philimon Serireni's favour by quashing the sentence and reduced it to only $300 fine in default to serve 3 months in jail.
Serireni had appealed against the sentence saying it was too harsh and induced a sense of shock as it was not passed under aggravating circumstances.
Kamocha said a heavy fine coupled with a suspended sentence would have met the justice of the case.
"The trial court misdirected itself by not giving sufficient weight to facts about the appellant pleaded guilty and it also did not sufficiently consider the non-custodial sentence in the circumstances of this case."
Kamocha also ruled that the appellant is given 3 months suspended for 3 years on condition of good behaviour.
Bulawayo High Court Judge Justice Lawrence Kamocha recently ruled in Philimon Serireni's favour by quashing the sentence and reduced it to only $300 fine in default to serve 3 months in jail.
Serireni had appealed against the sentence saying it was too harsh and induced a sense of shock as it was not passed under aggravating circumstances.
Kamocha said a heavy fine coupled with a suspended sentence would have met the justice of the case.
"The trial court misdirected itself by not giving sufficient weight to facts about the appellant pleaded guilty and it also did not sufficiently consider the non-custodial sentence in the circumstances of this case."
Kamocha also ruled that the appellant is given 3 months suspended for 3 years on condition of good behaviour.
Source - Byo24 News
