Zomba Thief Earns 8 years in Jail

A 27-year-old man has been convicted and sentenced to eight years imprisonment with hard labour for breaking into a house of a lady in Matawale, Zomba where he stole cash and assorted items.

The convict who received the judgment on Friday has been identified as Aubrey Saidi who comes from Lomwe Village in the area of Traditional Authority Chikowi in Zomba.

The convict contravened Section 309 (A) of the Penal Code, according to police prosecutor, Sub Inspector, Gerald Chinoko.

The prosecutor told the court that on May 15, 2018, Saidi broke into the house of Fortune Makwinja and stole a DVD player, assorted clothes and cash amounting to K50, 000.

Chinoko added that on June 9, 2018, Saidi broke into the house of a Mr. Umali of the same township where he stole several pairs of shoes and cash amounting to K20, 000.

“Police recovered some of the items and arrested Saidi,” Chinoko told the court.

Saidi pleaded not guilty and denied the charges but was found guilty after the prosecution team paraded two witnesses who testified against him.

Senior Resident Magistrate Paul Chiotcha said the convict committed a serious offence and that he deserved a custodial sentence which would have him isolated from the community.

“It is a considered view of the court that the convict deserves a custodial sentence on the basis that he wasted the court’s time and resources when police were investigating his case,” he observed.

Chiotcha sentenced Saidi to eight years imprisonment  (IHL) after the court proved beyond doubt that he was guilty of the charges leveled against him.

Saidi comes from Lomwe Village in the area of Traditional Authority Chikowi in Zomba.