Watchmen slapped with five years jail sentence for stealing beer

Court in Nkhatabay has convicted and sentenced two men who were working for Makuzi beach as watchmen to five years IHL for breaking into the beach’s bar where they stole beer amounting to K202,400.00

Sergeant. Keston Chiona told the court that the two, Daton Chirwa 30 and Weedman Chipilara 43 on 22,26 and 28 July 2017 were seen (through the CCTV cameras) commiting the aforementioned offence and were later arrested.

Recently the two appeared before Nkhatabay FGM court, both pleaded guilty to the charge of breaking into a building and committing a felony therein contrary to section 311(1) of the penal code and in their mitigations, they claimed to have only drunk five beers each. The two also sought court’s forgiveness saying they have families that they look after hence if sent to prison, their families will suffer much.

First Grade Magistrate Anthony Banda when passing sentence concurred with the state’s submission that the two deserved custodial sentence saying as watchmen, they were supposed to be custodians of the said stolen stuff but instead they did the opposite.

Daton Chirwa who hails from Chagowo village and Weedman Chipilara from Chimbano village and are both from T/A Malengamzoma in Nkhatabay district, were later slapped with a five year jail term.