By ALICE NACHILEMBE
The three members of the infamous gang of ‘O Stars’ that had been beating people in Chikola Township have been found guilty on three counts of assault and have ONLY….ONLY been fined K1, 500 on each count.
Also see: Chingola gang ‘O Stars’ arrested, O Stars gang disjointed on plea
In passing Judgement Senior Resident Magistrate Peggy Banda found the trio Mannix Kabamba 27, Joseph Ngoma 22, and Kenneth Kiyombale 22, all of Chikola B guilty and convicted them accordingly.
In the first count of assault it was only Joseph Ngoma and Manix Kabamba who stood charged.
In this count Sydney Mwila 33, of 28 Bungwe Bungwe Road Chikola B was called by the gang at Chikola shops but he disobeyed them then they pounced on him.
Ngoma pleaded guilty to the charge while his co-accused Kabamba denied the charge.
In count two Ngoma and Kiyombale were charged for assault and they pleaded guilty to the charge.
The particulars in this count were the duo found another man with a girl and they started beating him on pretext that she was their girlfriend.
In count three Ngoma pleaded guilty to the charge of assault but Kabamba and Kiyombale denied the charge.
Particulars in this matter were that the trio who are jerabos became annoyed after Danny Samwako 33 of 57 Kankoko Road in Lulamba was capturing them pictures whilst working in the pit and that he was a witness in a matter where their friend was convicted for murder.
This is in a matter were their friend was convicted for burning to death Chingola Jerabo Debra Richie.
See related: Debra Richie dies, Ugly side of the Law: Jerabos’ days of verdict dawns
Magistrate Ms Banda said she had considered the evidence before court and the prosecution had proved the case beyond any reasonable doubt that the trio assaulted the two complainants.
She said, though, the trio had the reasons to beat the complainants, they did not have the right to beat them.
In mitigation Kambamba and Ngoma had nothing to say while Kayombale said he was married and his wife was pregnant with no one to look after her.
Ms Banda said she had taken note of the mitigation and the fact that they are first offenders they deserve lenience from the court.
She fined Kabamba K2, 500 which is K1, 000 for his involvement in the first count and K1, 500 for involvement in third count.
Ngoma fined K4, 200 which is K1, 500 in first count, K1200 in count two and in third K1, 500.
And Kayombale was fined K1, 500 for each count that is his involvement in count two and three totaling K3, 000.
Last week another gang was sentenced only to four month imprisonment for assault.
