A witness has testified in the Lusaka High Court that a 17-year-old juvenile who allegedly stabbed his 20-year-old friend to death at JCS bar in April this year told him that he fought with the deceased because he wanted to steal his money.

This is a matter in which a 17-year-old juvenile of Kalingalinga is charged with murder.

Particulars of the offence allege that on April 6, 2019, in Lusaka, the 17-year-old juvenile murdered Sebastian Lungu aged 20.

The 17-year-old was initially jointly charged with a 16-year-old juvenile who was released through a nolle prosequi.

And when the matter came up for continued trial before justice Anessie Banda-Bobo, Wednesday, Chanda John Chimba, 24, testified that on the material day while he was driving into JCS bar in Lusaka’s Longacres at around 21:00 hours, he saw some boys fighting in the premises.

He said he separated the boys and when he thought that they fight was over, he went back to his car and proceeded inside to find parking space.

“I noticed as I was driving in, there were two boys fighting and one of the boys caught my attention because he looks like my brother. Immediately, I parked and rushed to go and stop the boys from fighting even after noticing that the boy I thought was my brother was not my brother, I still went on and stopped the fight,” Chimba said.

He said after about 10 minutes, he and his friends decided to leave the place as they were rushing for an event in the Show Grounds.

Chimba added that as he was driving out of JCS, he noticed that the fight, which he had earlier stopped at the entrance, had continued outside.

He told the court that he stopped at the gate and tried to inquire why the boys were fighting and during the process, he saw the accused pick a bottle and stab Lungu in the neck.

“When I was driving out, I asked one of people I found standing near the gate what the confusion was about. So as he was trying to explain, I was looking at the boys and I saw the accused pick a bottle and went for the other boy’s throat. I did not believe what I saw, someone came to my car and confirmed that someone has been stabbed,” Chimba said.

He said at that point, he got out of the vehicle and rushed to the scene where he found Lungu lying on the ground with blood oozing from the stab wound.

Chimba said when everyone’s attention was on the one who had been stabbed, the accused tried to escape but he managed to get hold of him and took him to his vehicle together with another juvenile.

He said when Lungu was rushed to UTH, he was pronounced dead upon arrival.

Chimba also told the court that the juvenile offender was drunk on the same day and could not walk properly.

He added that after he gave his statement at the police, he asked the accused what caused the fight but his response was that the deceased wanted to steal his money.

Trial continues.