Man Handed 6 Years For Setting Ablaze Two Houses In Dowa

The Dowa First Grade Magistrate’s Court has sentenced a 49-year-old man, Kingsley Jamikele, to 6 years imprisonment with hard labour for setting ablaze two houses belonging to his wife and his in-law.

The court through state prosecutor Sub Inspector Agnes Mphinga heard that the convict, on August 10, 2021 at Kavala Village in Dowa District set fire to a house belonging his wife Lucy Sine, 42, over family disagreements.

State prosecutor Sub Inspector Agnes Mphinga further told the court that Jamikele, on August 11, 2021 returned to the Village and  set alight a house belonging to his mother in-law.

“It was also learnt in court that the convict married Sine five years ago and they have been having problems ranging from the convict’s drinking habit, tendency of selling maize and not going to the garden,” said Mphinga.

She added that the wife was fed up and told his husband to pack his belongings and leave the house, a thing which did not go well with the husband.

On August 5, 2021, the husband left the house and on August 10 he went back to his wife and set on fire her house, and another house of his in-law, where property valued at K411,500 was destroyed in the process.

Appearing before court, the arsonist pleaded guilty to two charges of arson contrary to Section 337 of the Penal Code.

Passing sentence, First Grade Magistrate Amran Phiri concurred with the state’s submission for a stiff punishment and sentenced the convict to 2 years imprisonment with hard labour for the first count of arson and 4 years IHL for the second count of arson.

The convict, Kingsley Jamikele, comes from Chitanje Village in the area of Traditional Authority Mkukula in Dowa District.