What was expected to be a routine sentencing took a dramatic turn at the Nakonde Magistrate Court when a father pleaded with the court not to release his own son, moments after he was convicted of assaulting his younger sister over K2.
The emotional outburst came after 32-year-old Oscar Simovwe was convicted of assault occasioning actual bodily harm for beating his younger sister, Gertrude Nomovwe, following a family dispute over K2.
Senior Resident Magistrate for Nakonde Ethel Phiri fined Simovwe K2,000 to be paid immediately, failing which he will serve nine months imprisonment.
He was also ordered to pay K1,000 in compensation to his sister within 30 days or face a further default sentence.
Shortly after the sentence was delivered, Simovwe raised his hand and asked the court if he could hand his mobile phone to his father, who was seated in the public gallery, anticipating that he might be taken into custody if the fine was not paid.
As the court interpreter explained that Simovwe would only be released from the police cells after paying the K2,000 fine, his father unexpectedly stood up.
Many in the packed courtroom assumed he was about to settle the fine.
Instead, he stunned everyone by telling the court it was better to send his son to jail.
The father described Simovwe as a troublesome person and urged the court not to release him, saying imprisonment would teach him a lesson.
Earlier, during mitigation, Simovwe had pleaded for leniency, telling the court he suffered from ulcers, severe headaches and an injured hand, which he claimed would rot if he was sent to prison.
He also told the court he worked for the Nakonde Town Council and feared losing his job if given a custodial sentence.
His repeated descriptions of his ailments, including his claim that nearly every part of his body was in pain and that his injured hand would rot in prison, left many people in the courtroom laughing.
The court heard that the assault occurred on May 16, 2026, after Simovwe’s child took K2 belonging to his younger sister without her permission.
When another sibling informed Gertrude that the child had taken her money, she followed the child and found her holding Jiggies snacks allegedly bought using the K2.
Gertrude took the snacks away.
The child ran home crying and reported the matter to her father.
Angered, Simovwe confronted his sister and assaulted her using a whip and slaps, leaving her with a swollen arm and general body pains.
Simovwe had denied the charge when he first appeared in court, but after a full trial, the court found him guilty and imposed the fine and compensation order.
-Chete FM