The Blantyre Central Senior Resident Magistrate’s court has sentenced driver Lester Makawa to pay a fine of K150, 000.00 or in default serve 12 months imprisonment with hard labour for unlawfully wounding a traffic officer.
State prosecutor Lyson Chavinda, told the court that the victim identified as T Stephano Muthama was unlawfully wounded by the driver at Machinjiri Turn Off along Magalasi road when traffic officers mounted an adhoc roadblock.
He said in course of their duties, they came across the driver, who was driving a motor vehicle whilst drunk.
Chavinda further told the court that the officers cautioned the driver and tried to reason with him but he was very violent and uncooperative.
They arrested him before taking him to Ndirande Police Station.
Besides Chavinda told the presiding magistrate Euphrazia Moyo that, at the station the convict was still violent and he bite the right hand of Muthama, as they were dragging him into police cell.
Appearing before court, he pleaded guilty of Unlawful wounding.
In mitigation, he asked the court for leniency, saying he is the first offender and that he did it under the influence of alcohol and has family obligation.
He further apologized to the victimized officer.
In his submission, Chavinda quashed the mitigation factors and prayed for stiffer deterrent sentence considering that he was very uncooperative and displayed uncalled for behavior as a qualified driver.
The Magistrate ordered the driver Lester Makawa to pay a fine of K150, 000.00 or in default serve 12 months imprisonment with hard labour to act as a lesson to other drivers.
The court ordered that K100, 000.00 should go to Muthama as compensation.
The driver has since paid the fine.
The driver Lester Makawa is also answering a charge of resisting lawful arrest, contrary to Section 256 (b) of the Penal Code and is still remanded to Chichiri Prison.
