Supreme Court yesterday witnessed a fainting spell when an accused fell off a chair during trial. In the picture Rev Daniel Mwale lying on a chair outside the court.
AREVEREND facing contempt charges yesterday fainted in a dramatic fashion by falling off the chair and sending the Supreme Court room into a frenzy.
Rev Mwale was trying to recant his contemptuous words against the Supreme Court but fainted when the court rejected the bid.
The elderly man had told the court when he just appeared that he was not feeling well and was subsequently offered a seat.
At that point, the court asked his lawyer if he was aware of the man’s past history of vulgar language.
Deputy Chief Justice Marvin Mwanamwambwa told the lawyer that he was his third lawyer after his predecessors had been insulted and were forced to quit.
“Did you sit with him to examine that statement? You are the third lawyer, you don’t know. Your client insulted his own lawyer who was representing him in the High Court and the second lawyer was also insulted. You are the third one. He insults his lawyers,” Justice Mwanamwambwa said in warning the lawyer.
According to Justice Mwanamwambwa, the man of God had a penchant for insulting and the court would not accept his attempt at recanting his insults.
The Supreme Court judges asked the lawyer to read the contents of the insulting letter and when he stood up to read, just after a few words, his client fell off the chair and lay still.
The hushed court room soon erupted into a frenzy and others calling for medics. He was helped up and taken outside awaiting transport to take him to hospital.
At that point the court was forced to adjourn the matter to January 31 2019.
The alleged contemnor was summoned to answer why he should not be charged with contempt. It was alleged that he wrote a letter to Deputy Chief Justice Marvin Mwanamwambwa insulting and defaming the entire Supreme Court.
He accused them of corruption in the manner they handled a matter where he was fighting for property.
Meanwhile, judgment in a case where Rainbow Newspaper proprietor Derrick Sinjela is also facing a charge of contempt was adjourned to December 20.
This was because the other Supreme Court judges who were amongst the panel of the nine judges who sat to hear the matter were out of jurisdiction.