A housekeeper at Royal Shalom Lodge in Avondale has narrated how she allegedly found faeces on bedsheets and a towel in a room which a man accused of engaging in sexual acts against the order of nature with a juvenile had booked.

Mercy Nyoni was testifying in a matter in which Douglas Quentin Watt of farm number 4007 in Chisamba is charged with two counts of unnatural offences and possession of obscene material.

In count one, it is alleged that on unknown dates but between May and July 17, 2019, in Lusaka, Watt had unlawful carnal knowledge of a 17-year-old boy against the order of nature.

In count two, Watt on July 17, this year, in Lusaka, allegedly had in possession of obscene pictures and videos on a cell phone tending to corrupt morals.

Watt was jointly charged with the juvenile but the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) entered a nolle prosequi in favour of the 17-year-old boy in October, last year.

When the matter came up for trial before chief resident magistrate Lameck Mwale, Tuesday, Nyoni told the court that in March 2019, Watt arrived at the lodge and booked a room.

She said the room which he was allocated was on the same side where she was cleaning.

Nyoni said when Watt entered the room, he did not close the door and just covered himself with blankets.

“We were able to see him since the door was open,” she said.

The State witness further narrated that a few minutes later, Watt, who was in shorts, went out of the room whilst on the phone, then shortly afterwards, went back in the room again.

Nyoni said a while later, a boy, who was on phone, entered the same room and closed the door.

She said about 30 minutes later, the juvenile left the room and the accused followed suit shortly afterwards.

“The boy had some water on his head like he had taken a bath. After some time, the white man also left the room and went to the reception where he left the card. I then went to ask the receptionist if they will come back. I was told that they won’t come back and I can go and clean the room,” Nyoni said.

She said when she and other house keepers went to clean the room, the beddings were dirty as if someone had stepped on them.

“We found the blankets dirty as if someone was stepping on them. The beddings had yellow stains and black stuff,” Nyoni said.

She said on another date, Watt returned to the lodge and booked a room.

Nyoni said the accused later requested for a towel and tissue.

She said after taking the tissue and towel to the room, she went back to the laundry section and told her colleagues that whenever Watt comes to the lodge, the boy would also join him.

Nyoni, however, said her colleagues did not believe her.

“My friends said I was lying and asked ‘how are we going to know that what you are saying is the truth’,” she said.

Nyoni said she and her two friends then went to the conference room to wait for the boy to enter the premises, as the window to the same conference room is opposite the gate.

“We stood by the window waiting for him to come. We waited until the time the young boy came and entered,” she said.

Nyoni said when the boy arrived, he couldn’t locate Watt’s room but managed after talking to the accused on phone.

She said when the boy went to Watt’s room, the two were in there for about an hour and 30 minutes.

Nyoni said when she later went to clean the room, she found the bedsheets and towel which Watt had requested for, had some faeces.

She said she also found a pill in the room.

In cross examination, Nyoni admitted that when guests book a room at their lodge, they were free to receive a visitor.

Asked where the towel and bedsheets which she found with faeces were, the witness said they were at the lodge as they had washed them.

Asked if she gave those bedsheets, towel and a tablet to police officers to confirm her allegations, the witness said no.

Further asked if she entered the room when the accused and the boy were in there, Nyoni said no and added that she did not see anything when the two were in the room.

Trial continues.