The Ndola High Court has sentenced to death by hanging a 25-year-old woman for strangling her biological mother to death.

This is in a case where Hildah Zulu of Lubuto Township in Ndola was charged with murder.

It was alleged that on November 26, 2018, Zulu murdered her mother, Rachael Kapambwe, after she returned home from drinking.

According to prosecution evidence, Lilian Musonda, who sister of the deceased narrated that when her sister’s body was discovered, she noticed that she had vomited some vegetables and there were some marks on her neck.

“When we were at St Ann’s, I asked a doctor who works on the bodies there and I asked him what could have caused the marks on my young sister’s neck and he said she had been strangled,” she said.

The court heard that when Kapambwe’s family members called for a postmortem to be taken, her husband insisted that they just bury her.

In her defence, Zulu told the court that on the material day 19:00 hours she told her mother, Kapambwe, that she was going out for a drink.

She said when she returned home the following day at around 09:00 hours, her four-year-old daughter told her that her grandmother was not waking up.

Zulu said when she rushed to check on her mother in her bedroom, she found her facing up with her neck slightly twisted to the left.

Zulu testified that her mother was rushed to the hospital with the help of neighbours and 30 minutes later, she was pronounced dead.

She said there was no way she could have killed her mother because the two were best friends.

After Zulu was convicted, her lawyer informed the court that she had nothing to submit in mitigation.

Ndola High Court Judge Yvonne Chembe then declared that the prosecution had established a case against Hildah Zulu beyond reasonable doubt.

“I am therefore persuaded that the prosecution established malice aforethought in this case and I find that the accused murdered the deceased with malice aforethought,” Judge Chembe said.

Judge Chembe said Zulu was living with her parents and instead of appreciating their love and help, she tortured her mother by living a wayward life.

Judge Chembe said throughout trial, Zulu did not appear remorseful or hurt that her mother died, leaving her to conclude that she had no love for her mother.

“She gave her evidence in a defiant tone and did not appear to appreciate the gravity of the offence that she faced. Well, it is time to sober up now as the offence which she has been convicted for carries a mandatory sentence in the absence of extenuating circumstances. I therefore sentence the convict to death, she shall be hanged by the neck until she is dead,” said Judge Chembe.