BHUNU
J: The accused is charged with murder. She is alleged to have set her husband
alight on 20 September 2009. On that
fateful night the deceased got home drunk and proceeded to fall asleep. While
he was fast asleep the accused set him alight thereby causing him fatal burns
from which he died on 23 September 2009. The post mortem report confirmed death
was due to respiratory failure due to the 85% degree burns which he sustained.
The
accused admitted the facts in the main but tendered a special plea of
diminished mental responsibility. She stated that when this occurred she was
not in her sound and sober senses. She however had a vivid recollection of the
events of that night.
She
was examined by Mr Christopher Njanjeni a psychiatric Nurse with a Master's
degree in psychiatric nursing majoring in psychiatric nursing and mental health
issues. He is employed by the Zimbabwe Prison Service and has 20 years
experience. His investigations established that the accused set her husband on
fire as he slept after she had heard the voice of her late grant mother
instructing her to kill her husband before he could kill her. She was confused
as to the events surrounding the death of her husband.
Her
family has a history of mental illness. Her father had suffered from mental
illness at one stage. Her cousin sister suffered from epilepsy. An aunt had
committed suicide by hanging.
The
accused had problems sleeping. She hallucinated having healing powers as a
member of the Johan Masowe Church. She would hear voices from God which helped
her in her healing practices.
As
a child she had suffered from fits but was treated by a spiritual healer
without under going any other medical treatment.
That
night as she slept beside her husband she persistently heard a voice saying, "You
must kill your husband if you do not kill him he will kill you." That voice
prompted her to set her husband alight killing him in the process.
Under
cross-examination she had this to say:
"Q. When you
killed the deceased you were aware you were killing him?
A. When I was hearing these voices I could
see some short men and the deceased was now so short. So when I fought him I
thought I was fighting those short men.
Q. How many were the short men?
A. One. He was
now so short.
Q. Why did you
kill him?
A. Because I was
told that if I did not kill him he would kill me.
Q. So you did
not kill him because of the marital problems?
A. Yes."
Mr
Njanjeni diagnosed that the accused was suffering from epilepsy a neurological
disease of the mind. He then recommended that the accused be subjected to an
Electro Encephalogram test commonly known as an (EEG) test.
The
accused was dully subjected to an EEG test by doctor Makanza who submitted a
report. In interpreting the report Mr Njanjeni elaborated that it shows
abnormal electrical firing in both temporal lobes. This is influenced by other
factors such as sugar levels. When this happens it affects the patient who may
hear voices which others cannot hear. The voices are very powerful such that
they can influence one to commit murder .or suicide.
The
report shows abnormal electrical firing in the Lobe. This confirms that the
accused suffered from bilateral epilepsy emanating from both sides of the
temporal lobe. This explains the reason
why the accused was hearing abnormal voices. This type of epilepsy leads to
abnormal behaviour and criminal conduct.
From
the above facts Mr Njanjeni concluded that the accused was suffering from
temporal lobe epilepsy, a neurological disorder of the brain and was not in
control of her faculties at the material time.
That
conclusion is consistent with all the proven facts and the accused's irrational
behaviour in killing the deceased for no apparent reason in the middle of the
night as they lay in bed. That the accused was suffering from temporal lobe
epilepsy was certified by empirical medical evidence that was never challenged
at any stage. It is therefore, difficult to accept that the accused might be
feigning mental illness because she was certified to be suffering from a
disease of the mind which renders a person susceptible to violent criminal
conduct of this nature.
The
facts establish quite clearly that the couple was in an abusive and unhappy
marriage characterized by domestic violence, strife and misery. On the fateful
night they had had an altercation before retiring to bed. It was Mr Njanjeni
the expert witness' undisputed evidence that such encounters can trigger an
attach in people susceptible to temporal lobe epilepsy leading to irrational
conduct such as displayed by the accused on the night in question.
While
I accept NDOU J's sentiments in the case of S
v Munga HB 68/03 to the effect
that defenses of diminished mental responsibility ought to be treated with
extreme caution as the defence is easy to fabricate but difficult to rebut, it
ought to be distinguished from the present one.
In
the Munga case (supra) expert evidence did not support the accused's assertion that
he was mentally impaired at the material time so as not to be legally
responsible for his conduct. At p 4 of the cyclostyled judgment the LEARNED
JUDGE had this to say:
"From the expert evidence of Dr Poskotchinova
the accused was free from any psychotic symptoms. He was orientated in all
respects and there was no evidence of cognitive impairment. He denied any
delusions and hallucinations of any kind.
The doctor opined that due to alcohol and drugs that he had consumed the
accused was in a state of diminished responsibility at the time of killing. We
have already indicated that the alleged intake of alcohol and cannabis is a
mere fabrication exposed as such by the credible testimony of Mrs Zingwa."
To
make matters worse in that case the accused refused to testify so that the
credibility of his evidence regarding his mental status could be tested by way
of cross-examination. In this case the accused gave credible evidence that was
corroborated by empirical scientific evidence establishing on a preponderance
of probabilities that when she allegedly committed the offence she was not
mentally responsible for her conduct by reason of a disease of the mind.
We
did not understand psychiatric nurse Njanjeni's evidence to mean that in every
case where a person acts while under the influence of temporal lobe epilepsy he
will have no independent recollection of his conduct at the material time. We
understood him to mean that this was the norm but there are exceptions otherwise
he would not have concluded that the accused was suffering from temporal lobe
epilepsy so as not to be legally responsible for her conduct at the material
time.
Having
regard to all the evidence placed before us I find on a balance of
probabilities that when the accused set the deceased alight thereby killing him
in the process she was suffering from a disease of the mind so as not to know
the nature and quality of her conduct in this regard.
Section 29 (2)
of the Mental Health Act [Cap 15:12] provides that:
"If a judge or
magistrate presiding over a criminal trial is satisfied from evidence,
including medical evidence, given at the trial that the accused person did the
act constituting the offence charged or any other offence of which he may be
convicted of on the charge, but that when he did the act, he was mentally
disordered or intellectually handicapped so as to have a complete defence in
terms of s 248 of the Criminal Law Code, the judge or magistrate shall return a
special verdict to the effect that the accused person is not guilty because of
insanity."
Having
regard to the totality of the evidence placed before this court I am satisfied
on a preponderance of probabilities that when the accused killed the deceased
by setting him alight she was mentally disordered or intellectually handicapped
so as to have a complete defence at law.
She is
accordingly found not guilty by reason of insanity.
Bherebhende Law Chambers,
accused's legal practitioners
Attorney General's
Office, State's legal practitioners
