By Staff Writer
The Kitwe Magistrate’s Court has sentenced a 34 year old man of Buchi Township to two years and six months simple imprisonment for stealing 19 tyres from a Chinese company.
Patrick Bwalya who appeared before Resident Magistrate Dansen Muchaba, pleaded guilty to the offense of breaking into a building and committing a felony therein.
Particulars of the offense where that on April 20,2021 in Kitwe jointly and while acting together with other persons unknown, Bwalya broke into a building namely Jan Japan Zambia and stole 19 tyres,one cell phone and K4400 cash together valued at K31400 the property of Jan Japan Zambia.
In mitigation, Bwalya pleaded with the court to exercise leniency as he had learnt his lesson.
“I thought what i was doing by breaking into a building was a good thing but that unfortunately had led me into being apprehended,” he said
Bwalya also told the court that life at the correctional facility was hard and scary for him adding that there are a lot of diseases.
But magistrate Muchaba said any man who is of the age 30 years old is aware of the fact that stealing in a community is a bad and serious offence.
Magistrate Muchaba said such offense in Zambia are regarded as serious and carry stiff punishments of upto five years imprisonment.
In delivering his sentence, Magistrate Muchaba considered the fact that Muchaba was a first offender who did not worst the courts time but readily admitted to the charge.
He said Bwalya has a right to appeal within 14 days if he was not happy with the sentence.
