8 years in Prison for burglary and theft

8 years in Prison for burglary and theft

The Senior Resident Magistrate court sitting in Nkhata Bay District, has on April 26, 2023 convicted and sentenced a 29-year-old man Thomas Banda to Eight (8) years imprisonment with hard labour for burglary and theft.

According to the facts presented in court by the state prosecutor Sergeant Dora Mhango, during the night of February 10, 2023 Banda broke into a house belonging to Sara Mwandira at St. Maria Gollet in the district and went away with assorted household items worth K600, 000 (Six Hundred Thousand Kwacha).

The matter was reported to Nkhata Bay Police Station where investigations were launched leading to the arrest of the suspect on February 17, 2023. He was charged with burglary and theft.

Thomas denied the charges levelled against him the development that prompted the state to parade three witnesses whose evidence proved the matter beyond reasonable doubt.

During subsequent proceedings, the court found the suspect guilty and eventually convicted him.

In submission, the state prosecutor Mhango prayed for stiffer sentence saying the act displayed by the convict was dangerous and caused great fear to the victim. Mhango said the sentence should teach the convict and other would be offenders a lesson.

In mitigation, the convict told the court that he looks after his grandmother hence prayed for leniency.

But passing sentence, Magistrate Mateo Fatsani Chitha quashed the mitigating factors and concurred with the state.

Chitha finally sentenced Thomas Banda to Eight (8) years IHL for burglary and Two (2) years IHL for theft. The magistrate said the sentences will run concurrently.

Thomas Banda hails from Japi Village in Traditional Authority Mkumbira in Nkhata Bay District.