By NCHIMUNYA MIYOBA
Kitwe High Court has ordered Richard Chileshe popularly known as Chile one to pay K, 5000 or face six months imprisonment following an appeal of the 20 months imprisonment conviction slapped on him by the magistrate court.
Chileshe appealed in the High Court on two grounds asking the court to revisit the sentence by the magistrate court as the convict was a first offender.
Chileshe was charged and convicted of threatening violence as he discharged a loaded firearm on July 15, 2015 with intent to alarm any person and the magistrate court sentenced him to 20 months imprisonment with hard labour.
In the first ground of appeal defence counsel argued that the court below erred in law and fact when it convicted the Chileshe without considering the explanation given by the appellant.
In the second ground defence lawyers submitted that the court erred in law and fact by imposing a harsh sentence which was against the principles of sentencing.
Defence argued that when the appellant told the court that his life was in danger was reasonable considering the fact that he found himself in the midst of the United Party for National Development (UPND) carders and that the appellant was a known Patriotic Front (PF) leader in Kitwe.
The defense further argued that the offense the convict was facing was a misdemeanor and that the lower court should have considered slapping him with a fine adding that the offense of this nature cannot be reformed through imprisonment especially that the firearm was registered.
