Muwanga guilty of defiling 3-month old baby
Oct 31, 2006
FRED Muwanga was yesterday convicted of defiling a three-month-old baby seven years ago.
By Hillary Kiirya & Hillary Nsambu
FRED Muwanga was yesterday convicted of defiling a three-month-old baby seven years ago.
He will be sentenced today after the judge has studied the mitigating factors raised by the defence.
Court presided over by Justice Rubby Opio Aweri found Muwanga guilty of penetrating the baby, owing to the corroboration of the evidence of the witnesses.
“After careful scrutiny of the evidence of all the prosecution witnesses, I agree with both the assessors and prosecution that all the ingredients have been proved beyond reasonable doubt and he is guilty as charged,†Aweri said.
Muwanga, who has been on remand since 1999, had undergone trial three times with no conclusion. He stood quietly in the dock as the judge delivered the judgement.
After the judgement, Muwanga’s lawyer, Mark Bwenje, pleaded for lenience, saying his client was not normal. He said the long stay on remand was due to the fact that he was not a person fit to be tried.
He asked court to exercise its powers to discharge Muwanga without any punishment. However, prosecution asked for a deterrent sentence, saying the gravity of the offence was big.
Muwanga opted to keep quiet as one way of defending himself against the accusations. Court said prosecution had proved that Muwanga was the last person who was with the child and on returning the baby, she was crying with a lot of pain. On Muwanga handing over the child, he disappeared.
Ends
FRED Muwanga was yesterday convicted of defiling a three-month-old baby seven years ago.
He will be sentenced today after the judge has studied the mitigating factors raised by the defence.
Court presided over by Justice Rubby Opio Aweri found Muwanga guilty of penetrating the baby, owing to the corroboration of the evidence of the witnesses.
“After careful scrutiny of the evidence of all the prosecution witnesses, I agree with both the assessors and prosecution that all the ingredients have been proved beyond reasonable doubt and he is guilty as charged,†Aweri said.
Muwanga, who has been on remand since 1999, had undergone trial three times with no conclusion. He stood quietly in the dock as the judge delivered the judgement.
After the judgement, Muwanga’s lawyer, Mark Bwenje, pleaded for lenience, saying his client was not normal. He said the long stay on remand was due to the fact that he was not a person fit to be tried.
He asked court to exercise its powers to discharge Muwanga without any punishment. However, prosecution asked for a deterrent sentence, saying the gravity of the offence was big.
Muwanga opted to keep quiet as one way of defending himself against the accusations. Court said prosecution had proved that Muwanga was the last person who was with the child and on returning the baby, she was crying with a lot of pain. On Muwanga handing over the child, he disappeared.
Ends