Jailed 30 months for house breaking
The Mzimba First Grade Magistrate court recently convicted and sentenced 23-year-old Henry Mtonga to 30 months imprisonment with hard labour for breaking into a house and stealing assorted music items.
Mzimba Police Public Relations Officer, Gift Nyirongo has confirmed.
“According to our investigations, on February 29, this year Mrs. Veronica Nkuna (victim) of Phazima village in the area of Traditional Authority M’mbelwa in the district left her home for Mzuzu to process her passport. She left her house well closed and locked.
“On her arrival on the following day, she was so surprised to see that the door of her house was broken into. When she entered the house, she discovered that the following music items were stolen; one TV Screen, one DVD player, three speakers, car battery and inventor; all valued at MK130, 000,” said the police publicist.
Nyirongo said the victim reported the matter to Mzimba police station and fortunately the convict was found selling the same properties to one of the businessmen at Mzimba Boma, which resulted in the arrest of the convict.
He was charged with the offence of House breaking and Theft, which is contrary to section 309(a) and 278 of Penal Code and attracts a maximum penalty of life imprisonment and five years imprisonment with hard labour respectively.
On his own plea of guilty, the court also found him guilty and in his judgment, the Magistrate Chakaka Nyirenda observed that cases of house breaking are at increase in the district so it was proper for the convict to earn a jail term to send a warning signal to those would-be offenders.
After the sentence, the convict escaped and ran away but he was caught within a short distance. The same day, he was charged with the offence of Escaping from Lawful Custody contrary to section 115 of the Penal Code.
The offence attracts a maximum penalty of three years imprisonment with hard labour.
He appeared in the court on April 11 this year to answer this charge.
The matter was adjourned to a later date for further hearing. The convict hails from Zonde Shumba village in the area of Traditional Authority M’mbelwa in the district.
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