Murder convict cries after being handed death sentence
A 23-YEAR-OLD man of Chipata’s Mchini compound wept uncontrollably after being sentenced to death for murdering a Malawian bricklayer.
Christopher Mphanza, a businessman was sentenced to death by Chipata High Court resident judge Mercy Makubalo for murdering Samson Banda.
The convict started crying after he was ushered into the court’s holding cell.
One of Mphanza’s relatives who was in court when judgment was being passed also wept after the ruling.
It took one elderly woman to stop Mphanza’s relative from crying within the court premises.
The convict murdered Banda on unknown day but between 3rd and 4th August 2021.
According to the arresting officer Philip Mwanza, he received a report of murder on August 4th 2021 while operating at Mchini police post.
Mwanza said Joseph Phiri of Kalongwezi compound reported that Sam Banda had been murdered.
“After receiving this report, I rushed to the scene, Joseph Phiri identified the body of the deceased who is a Malawian and came to Zambia to work as a bricklayer. I inspected the body and it had a deep cut on the hand and bruises. A sharp instrument was used,” he said.
Mwanza said the body was found in an unfinished building.
“I interviewed Amos Chisale who was staying with the deceased. Chisale said on 3rd August 2021 around 22:00 hours he was with the deceased. He explained that as they were going home, they met three people in Garden compound and that one of them broke a bottle on the road and they scampered in different directions,” he said.
Mwanza said local people apprehended the convict and took him to police in connection with the murder of Banda.
“People apprehended Buba Mphanza and they brought him to the police post. I then came to know him as Christopher Mphanza and I detained him. I noticed that his trousers had some blood stains,” said Mwanza.
Charles Banda, a witness, said he heard some noise outside his house and when he checked as he had a torch, he saw some people attacking the deceased and identified Mphanza.
Credit: The Mast