Court Sentences Three to 84 Months for Motorcycle Theft by Trick
Published on January 9, 2026 at 10:33 AM by Edgar Naitha
The Second Grade Magistrate’s Court sitting in Thyolo District has convicted and sentenced Moses Davis, 21, Precious Matchado, 19, and Justin Musilima, 19, all from Mtunduwatha Village in the area of Senior Chief Nsabwe, for theft by trick involving a motorcycle valued at K2.5 million.
Through State Prosecutor Ismael Abubast, the court heard that on December 31, 2025, the three conspired to commit the offence by tricking Matias Newiri, a kabaza motorcycle operator, who was at his rank in Chigumula Area, Blantyre.
The accused pleaded guilty to the charge of theft by trick, contrary to Section 278 as read with Section 282(i) of the Penal Code.
In mitigation, the State Prosecutor asked the court to impose a stiff sentence, arguing that offences of this nature are rampant and require deterrent punishment.
In his ruling, Second Grade Magistrate Thomson Sikweya agreed that the aggravating factors outweighed the mitigating ones.
The magistrate sentenced Davis, Matchado and Musilima to 84 months’ imprisonment each, to serve as a deterrent to others.
