Remorseful woman gets suspended sentence for assault

Rabecca Banda writes@sunzambianA Lusaka woman has been jailed six months but suspended for 12 months for assault.Appearing at the Lusaka magistrates court before magistrate Nsunge Chanda was Esther Kapili 42 of Matero accused of assaulting Clara Simasiku causing her actual bodily harm.Kapili said she assaulted the complainant but it was not intentional.She explained that she […]

Remorseful woman gets suspended sentence for assault
Rabecca Banda writes@sunzambianA Lusaka woman has been jailed six months but suspended for 12 months for assault.Appearing at the Lusaka magistrates court before magistrate Nsunge Chanda was Esther Kapili 42 of Matero accused of assaulting Clara Simasiku causing her actual bodily harm.Kapili said she assaulted the complainant but it was not intentional.She explained that she was on separation from her husband and they decided to get back together.She said on her way back to her matrimonial home, she saw her husband drunk and asked her son to pick him and take him home. While they were at home, a woman arrived and asked her what she was doing in her house knowing she was not welcome.Kapili explained that the woman said that she was there to collect money the husband was owing.She then asked her why she was still lending money to her husband when she had told her not to.She said her husband started beating her and she hit back not knowing she was hitting the complainant.She said her husband chose the money lender over her.Kapili started beating the woman with an iron bar and also punched her on the face.Kapili pleaded for mercy from the court saying her husband was a drunkard and she takes care of his mother.She said she is sorry for beating the complainant but cannot pay K4,000 she requested as compensation.Magistrate Chanda said she had taken into consideration that the complainant followed Kapili at her house and provoked her. Magistrate Chanda said she will exercise maximum lenience on Kapili but it does not mean what she did was right.She warned Kapili not to commit any offence within 12 months.The court jailed Kapili six months suspended for 12 months. The Sun