Limbe Senior Resident Magistrate Ackia Mwanyongo on Thursday sentenced Happy James to 18 years imprisonment for raping his best friend’s wife.

According to Limbe police station publicist, Aubrey Singanyama, on the night of January 31, this year, the convict went out with his best friend to watch a football match on Television at Makhetha location in Machinjiri Township.

While the two were watching the game, James sneaked out of the video showroom and went to his friend’s house and joined the victim in bed where he had sexual intercourse with her under the disguise of being her husband.

The court heard that, during the night of January 31, 2024, the convict went out with his best friend to watch a football match on Television at Makhetha location.

While watching the game, James sneaked out of the video showroom and went to his friend’s house and joined the victim in bed where he had sexual intercourse with her under the disguise of being her husband.

In the course of action, the victim realized that the man in bed was not her husband and she immediately confronted him, and, in his response, James told the victim that he and her husband had agreed to swap wives for the night.

He further stated that his own wife was concurrently having sexual intercourse with her husband at his home.

When the victim insisted on demanding the proof, the convict violently bolted from the scene and this prompted the victim to report the matter to her parents, who subsequently reported it to Limbe Police Station.

Happy James hails from Traditional Authority Machinjiri in Blantyre District.