Kitwe Man Goes In 18 Months for Stealing Cellphone

THE Kitwe Magistrates’ Court has sentenced a 20-year-old man to one year six months with hard labour for stealing a cell phone worth K2,000. Golden Chali of Kawama Compound was charged with robbery contrary to the Laws of Zambia.

Allegations were that on March 8, 2018, in Kitwe, Chali robbed Priscilla Munshya of a cell phone and K1,500, altogether valued at K3,500 and immediately after or before the time of robbery, he used or threatened to use actual violence in order to obtain or retain the said property.

Magistrate Chinunda Chiwaula said in his judgment that it was evident that the accused person had attacked the complainant and robbed him of his phone as he was able to identify it when it was found in Chali’s (accused) house.

He said the prosecution had proved the case of robbery beyond all reasonable doubt and that he had found the accused person guilty of the offence and was convicting him accordingly.

In mittigation, the accused begged for the court’s leniency saying he was remorseful and had learnt a lesson whilst in remand prison. But magistrate Chiwaula said as much as he had taken the mitigation into consideration, the offence that the accused commited was a seriouse one and required a custodial sentence as a deterrent.

Magistrate Chiwaula said being the first offender, the accused person did deserve the court’s leniency and he sentenced him to eighteen months with hard labour.

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