Burglar Stambuli begins 14-year jail sentence
Sadik Stambuli who was convicted for breaking into a house of a Malawi Defence Force sorlder and stole items valued at K 25,000 has started a 14-year jail term.
The Mzuzu Senior Resident Magistrate Court sentenced Stambuli, 22, to 14 years imprisonment with hard labour after convicting him for burglary and theft charges.
Stambuli between April 2 and 23 May, 2012 broke and entered a dwelling house of George Biwi at Kaning’ina lo density suburbs and stole a Home Theatre, DVD player, 4 DVD discs, a subwoofer and a remote control all valued at K 25,000 property, the court heard. Biwi is a soldier at Moyale Barracks.
The court heard that Stambuli took advantage of the Biwi’s absence from his apartment as he was away for holidays hence the house was just locked. 
Police Prosecutor Sergeant Cephas Chiumia asked the Court to mete out stiff penalties to deter would be offenders saying such cases were on the increase in the city.
But is mitigation Stambuli pleaded for leniency saying that he looks after his parents and that he has illness stomach hence custodial sentence would deteriorate his health and that his parents would suffer if he is locked away.
But in his ruling the Senior Resident Magistrate Kondwani Banda concurred with the state that cases of Burglary and Theft were rampant in Mzuzu.
He singled out this case as danger in nature considering how the convict gained entry without any breaking. He said that acts of the convict instill fear to society.
Banda also quashed Stambuli’s mitigation saying it was hard for the Court to trust him since he cheated the Police of his real name during his arrest.
He then described the convict as a threat to society before locking him away for 14 years. The convict hails from Mtanga village T/A Malengachanzi in Nkhotakota District.
