A 47-year-old man of Lusaka’s John Howard Compound has been sentenced to one year imprisonment with hard labour for assaulting another man in a tavern using a pool stick.

The victim sustained a fracture on his right hand side.

In this matter, Davy Sansalimba was charged with one count of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, contrary to section 248 of the Penal Code Chapter 87 of the laws of Zambia.

Particulars of the offence were that on September 16, 2018, in Lusaka, Sansalimba assaulted Jevas Phiri, thereby, occasioning him actual bodily harm.

The accused had pleaded guilty and the matter came up before Magistrate Thandose Chabala, Tuesday, for facts and sentencing.

Facts in this matter were that last year on September 16, around 10:00 hours, the accused was drinking beer at Timwenge Tavern commonly known as ‘Delta’, in John Howard.

But as the complainant, Jevas, was chatting with his friends, the accused followed him and hit him on his face.

When Jevas fell down, the accused, Sansalimba, got a pool stick and hit him on the right hand side where he sustained a fracture.

The people who were around rescued the complainant and apprehended Sansalimba and took him to Chawama Police Station.

Asked whether the facts were true and correct, the accused responded in the affirmative.

In mitigation, Sansalimba asked for forgiveness from the complainant.

He added that he had a big family, which he was looking after.

Sansalimba said he was also taking care of his school-going children.

But passing her sentence, Magistrate Chabala said she had taken into account the mitigation by Sansalimba as well as the injuries sustained by the complainant.

She eventually sentenced him to 12 months’ imprisonment with hard labour with effect from the date he was arrested.