THE Court of Appeal has upheld a life sentence imposed on a woman of Ndola who murdered her neighbour whom she accused of stealing her mattress and a baby blanket.

Lucy Chola, of Kawama, was convicted and sentenced for murdering her neighbour, Chola Kabaso, on September 17, 2021.

Chola, who was pregnant at the time, returned from work when her mother informed her that she saw Kabaso passing through their yard.

She later went to Kabaso’s house with two teenagers who had bamboo sticks and started beating the victim until he died. Chola was standing at a distance.

Although she told the court that she did not participate in beating Kabaso as it was the two teenagers who did so, she was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment.

However, she appealed. When the matter came up before the Court of Appeal, Judge Anessie Banda-Bobo dismissed the appeal.

“In her own evidence, the appellant placed herself on the scene. She testified that when she shouted ‘thief’, people came and started dragging the accused,” she said.

“That at that time and seeing that she was pregnant, she went to stand at some distance.”

Judge Bobo said Chola took part in assaulting Kabaso and had the opportunity to stop the teenagers from assaulting the victim but allowed them “to do the job for her”.

“We find no merit in this appeal,” she said.

Credit: Zambia Daily Mail