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A teenage man in Chikwawa will spend the next four years in prison after being found guilty of stealing ten guinea fowls and also cooking oil.
Chikwawa Police Station public relations officer, Constable Foster Benjamin said Fanizo Ben was answering the charges of house breaking and theft which he ended up being convicted of by Makande Magistrate Court.
During the court hearing on Tuesday, police Prosecutor, Sub Inspector Martin Thulu, told Makande Magistrate’s Court that on 30 November, the accused broke into the house of Grace Tekwatekwa at Sande Village in the area of Senior Chief Ngabu in the district.
Thulu said, at the time, the owner was out on some errand when the convict struck her house.
“Having stolen 10 guinea fowls, a laptop bag and 3 litres of cooking oil, the accused went into a nearby bush and hid the items,” explained Thulu.
A passer-by, however, came across the items and handed them over to the village headman.
“The owner was informed and collected her stuff before reporting to Ngabu Police Post who effected an arrest on the accused,” added the state prosecutor.
In court, Ben admitted to housebreaking and theft charges, and quickly asked for forgiveness saying he would never commit any offence again once released.
The state, however, asked the same court to hand him stiffer sentence since he was a subsequent offender having served a 12-month sentence on theft of goats charges.
Passing sentence, Second Grade Magistrate Chiyembekezo Phiri concurred with the state and handed Ben a 4-year-jail term as a measure of deterrence.
Ben comes from Sande Village in the area of Senior Chief Ngabu in Chikwawa District.
