Court upholds sentence against convict
Jun 09, 2008
THE Court of Appeal has upheld a five-year sentence against a woman who was convicted of killing her stepsister. Rebecca Magala-Kibuuka had appealed against the sentence that was passed by Justice Vincent Zehurikize at the Jinja High Court last year.
By Hillary Nsambu
THE Court of Appeal has upheld a five-year sentence against a woman who was convicted of killing her stepsister. Rebecca Magala-Kibuuka had appealed against the sentence that was passed by Justice Vincent Zehurikize at the Jinja High Court last year.
She complained that the judge did not evaluate the evidence properly. But the panel led by Justice Alice Elizabeth Mpagi-Bahigeine ruled: “The trial judge, in our view, meticulously analysed the evidence. We cannot fault his findings that the cause of the child’s death was anaemia that resulted from severe assault that was inflicted on her.â€
The court ruled that Magala-Kibuuka, in her early 50’s, was guilty of killing her six-year-old stepsister, Joyce Namulindwa. Prosecution said the convict used to subject Namulindwa to cruel and degrading punishments.
In 1996, she allegedly stripped the deceased naked and beat her using electric cables and poured hot water on her.
Magala-Kibuuka accused Namulindwa of disclosing that a certain regular visitor at her home was her lover.
Namulindwa later died of internal complications due to burns, the court heard.
THE Court of Appeal has upheld a five-year sentence against a woman who was convicted of killing her stepsister. Rebecca Magala-Kibuuka had appealed against the sentence that was passed by Justice Vincent Zehurikize at the Jinja High Court last year.
She complained that the judge did not evaluate the evidence properly. But the panel led by Justice Alice Elizabeth Mpagi-Bahigeine ruled: “The trial judge, in our view, meticulously analysed the evidence. We cannot fault his findings that the cause of the child’s death was anaemia that resulted from severe assault that was inflicted on her.â€
The court ruled that Magala-Kibuuka, in her early 50’s, was guilty of killing her six-year-old stepsister, Joyce Namulindwa. Prosecution said the convict used to subject Namulindwa to cruel and degrading punishments.
In 1996, she allegedly stripped the deceased naked and beat her using electric cables and poured hot water on her.
Magala-Kibuuka accused Namulindwa of disclosing that a certain regular visitor at her home was her lover.
Namulindwa later died of internal complications due to burns, the court heard.