Balaka man gets 6 year jail term for chopping off wife’ s fingers

The Balaka Second Grade Magistrate Court in eastern Malawi has sentenced a 38-year-old man to 6 years imprisonment with hard labour for wounding and chopping off his wife’s finger .

Police Prosecutor Inspector Isaac Mponela told the court that the suspect Ajida Idrissa 38,wounded and chopped off his wife’s fingers during the night of June 14 at Kwitanda village in the area of Traditional Authority Msamala.

“The suspect wounded his wife Aida Idrissa who is a business lady after she refused to surrender the money she gained after the sales of tomatoes ,” Mponela.

According to the investigator Detective Sergeant Saiti Sokole, the victim went to sell tomatoes at Mangochi Turn-off on June 13 where she spent a night.

“When she came back home the following day, the suspect demanded his wife to give him the money she acquired after the sells; but the victim denied and this angered the suspect who wounded her with a panga knife and she sustained multiple cuts on the head, nose and reaching the extent of chopping off her finger”

The victim was rushed to Balaka District Hospital where she was admitted and has since been discharged.

Appearing before the Balaka Second Grade Magistrate Court, the suspect pleaded guilty to the charge of grievous harm which is contrary to section 238 of the Penal code and following his own plea of guilty, and upon submission of the facts by the state, the court for him guilty and consequently convicted him.

In his submission before judgment, Prosecutor Inspector Mponela asked the court to consider giving the suspect a stiffer sentence.

He said gender-based violence cases are on the increase in the country hence the need for suspects to be given stiffer sentences.

Mponela said, the victim has a permanent disfigurement and considering the seriousness of the offence and that it attracts a maximum sentence of 14 years imprisonment with hard labour.

But in his mitigation, the suspect asked for leniency saying that he has children to look after and if sent to prison, his children will suffer.

Passing judgment, Second Grade Magistrate Victor Sibu said the suspect was supposed to know his responsibility before committing the offence.

He therefore sentenced him to 6 years imprisonment with hard labour. Sibu said he has given him such a sentence so that it should be lesson to him and would be offenders.

Ajida Idrissa comes from Nduta village, Traditional Authority Msamala in the same district of Balaka.

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