Crime

woman bags 8 years jail term for killing boyfriend with beer bottle

By Florence Kalu

Court has sentenced a 23-year-old woman to 8 years imprisonment after she pleaded guilty to causing the death of her boyfriend whom she hit with a black label beer bottle in a bar.

The Ndola high Court in Zambia had Tamara Tembo, 23, initially charged with murder but the state made an application to substitute it with manslaughter.

Report from Zambia local tabloids had it that on March 16, 2021 in Ndola, Ms Tembo murdered Luo Chirwa, 33, after she hit him with a big black label beer bottle.

When the matter came up, State Advocate Innocent Innocent Kamunga applied that the charge by substituted.

“My Lord, this matter came up for trial today, but before we proceed, we have an application to make. Our application is to substitute the charge from murder to manslaughter. The particulars should now read that on dates between 16 March and 19 March 2021 in Ndola, Tembo by unlawful act did cause the death of Luo Chirwa,” Kamunga applied.

After the charge was read for her, Ms Tembo pleaded guilty to manslaughter.

“On 16 March at about 22:00 hours, Tamara Tembo was at Sara’s bar in Masala drinking beer, and Chirwa was at the time her boyfriend. The now deceased (Chirwa) requested her (Tembo) to go with him but she refused and later pushed the deceased and hit him with a black label beer bottle on the head. The deceased was rushed to Ndola Teaching Hospital and later died. The cause of death was head injuries,” Mr Kamunga stated the facts in brief.

Ndola High Court Judge Daniel Musonda convicted Ms Tembo after she admitted the facts to be true and correct. Judge Musonda then sentenced Ms Tembo to 8 years imprisonment