The Lusaka Magistrates’ Court has sentenced a 38-year-old builder of Mtendere township to six months imprisonment with hard labour for beating a man he accused of having sex with his wife.

In this matter, Peter Bwalya was charged with assault and had pleaded guilty.

Particulars of the offence were that on August 6 this year, in Lusaka Bwalya assaulted Moses Mfula and occasioned him actual bodily harm.

The matter came up for reading of facts on Tuesday, before Lusaka magistrate Nsunge Chanda.

Facts before court were that on the material day around 16:00hours, the complainant Mfula, left his house and went to the market to drink beer, but while at the market, he met Bwalya who dragged him and asked for money for allegedly sleeping with his wife.

And when Mfula said that he didn’t know anything about the issue, Bwalya started beating him by punching and slapping Mfula who sustained cuts on the left eyebrow and a swollen eye.

He was only restrained by a passersby before he reported the matter to the police.

And in mitigation, Bwalya asked for forgiveness from the court saying his actions were wrong and that he had learnt a lesson the time he had been in custody.

He asked the court not to send him to jail as he was fending for his wife and children.

However, magistrate Chanda sentenced him to six months imprisonment with hard labour.

When she had earlier asked if Bwalya’s wife was in court, he said she wasn’t.

Magistrate Chanda then said she wished his wife was present because she was the one that caused the problem.

She said if Bwalya’s wife was being found with other men, it meant that she no longer wanted him, adding that the convict could not go on fighting men everywhere he went.