THE Ndola High Court has sentences a 19-year-old girl to 10 years imprisonment with hard labour as part of her reformation to stop smoking marijuana.

This is in a case where Mutika Mungwila 19 was convicted by the Ndola Magistrates’ Court for trafficking in psychotropic substances and committed to the High Court for sentencing.

When the matter came up for sentencing before Ndola High Court judge Yvonne Chembe, Mungwila’s lawyer, Kateule Chitupila, told the court that her client was mentally unwell resulting from smoking marijuana and needed to undergo medical examination before being sentenced.

But judge Chembe dismissed the application describing it as irregular, stating that the issue of Mungwila’s insanity did not arise during trial in the lower court.

“I find the application to be irregular as the convict stood trial in the court below and the main witness was her mother. The issue of her sanity did not arise and she was able to prosecute her defence,” judge Chembe said.

In her mitigation, Chitupila said her client was remorseful and asked for leniency.

However, Judge Chembe sentenced her to 10 years imprisonment with hard labour because she was a second offender.

She said Mungwila was convicted and sentenced to a month in January 2019, but upon release from prison, she re-offended with the same offence.

“It is sad that a girl like you cannot give up on marijuana, the law will help to reform you because the prescribed mandatory sentence is 10 years, by the time you leave the correctional facility you will change and I will therefore, sentence you to 10 years imprisonment with hard labour,” said judge Chembe.