Graveyard supervisor in grave attack

IN what turned out to be a busy day at the office, a graveyard supervisor had his chest bitten in a scuffle after he caught a man stealing artefacts from graves, the Lusaka Magistrates Court heard yesterday.

Quickie Lungu, a supervisor, at Chingwere Cemetery, had a tough day after he caught a man removing plates, grave numbers and posters from graves, as the suspect’s friends descended on him. The bid to stop the thieves ended with Lungu being bitten on his chest. And the Lusaka Magistrates’ court has sentenced 22-year old, Jonathan Bwalya of Matero Township to three months imprisonment for biting a gravedigger on the chest. In this case, Bwalya, a wheelbarrow pusher, was charged with assault occasioning bodily harm contrary to the laws of Zambia. Particulars of the offence were that on October 4, 2018 Bwalya bit Lungu thereby occasioning bodily harm. When the matter came up for plea and sentencing yesterday before Lusaka Magistrate Austin Mubita, Bwalya pleaded guilty to the charge. Facts before were that Mr Lungu, a gravedigger supervisor at Chingwere cemetery during the course of his work discovered heaped plates of grave numbers, posters and dishes. It became obvious to Mr Lungu that someone was removing them and a plot was made to ambush the culprits. During the operation, Mr Lungu saw Bwalya’s colleague running towards the heap of items and started packing them in a sack in an attempt to run away with them. Lungu managed to apprehend the culprit with the help of the public. However, on the way to the police station, Bwalya and his colleague appeared and confronted Mr Lungu in a bid to free their friend. In the process, Bwalya was also arrested and in trying to free himself, bit Mr Lungu on the chest. In mitigation, Bwalya pleaded for the complainant’s forgiveness and asked the court to show leniency. Mr Mubita however sentenced Bwalya to three months simple imprisonment.