This appeal arises from the decision of the High Court of
Tanzania (Sambo, J.) in Criminal Session Case No. 4 of 2012 where the Appellant
was originally charged with the offence of murder. When the charge was read
over to the Appellant he pleaded not guilty. Just thereafter, the learned
advocate for the Appellant informed the trial High Court that, his client
offered a plea of guilty to a lesser offence of manslaughter. Without
substituting the charge, and without reading the charge to the Appellant, the
record does not show the Appellant to have pleaded to the lesser offence of
manslaughter. Thereafter, the Appellant was convicted of the offence of
manslaughter.
After mitigation, the trial court sentenced the Appellant
to serve thirty-five (35) years’ imprisonment and pay costs of prosecuting the
case to the tune of Tshs. 500,000/=. The Appellant appears to have been
aggrieved by the decision of the trial High Court, hence he preferred this
appeal.