Men jailed 10-years for K1.2m robbery in which victim died
After hearing all the circumstances that lead to the death of Spurs cash and carry employee Charles Mahedi who was robbed off MK1.2 Million Zomba Chief Resident Magistrate Court Monday sentenced the two accused persons for the offence of robbery to 10 years with Imprisonment With Hard Labour (IHL), while waiting for murder case.
The court heard that the convicts Stephano Mbawa, 29, and Davie Mandala, 20, brutally killed Mahedi who was on a motorcycle carrying a fellow salesman Michael Mulire at Namadzi after they had sold their top up airtime units at Jali, Mayaka, Nasawa and Namadzi in Zomba district.
The incident happened on February 21, 2012 at 12 noon when the two sales men were travelling on the same motorcycle going to Blantyre from Zomba.
When they had passed through Namadzi Trading Centre, the court heard that the convicts threw a big log in front of the motorcycle and hit Mahedi on the neck forcing them to crash.
The survivor Mulire a pillion passenger testified to the court: “We saw people along the road who threw a big log to us and it hit my friend who was driving the motorcycle and both of us fell down, then somebody came from the bush took the bag that contained units plus cash worth MK 1.2 Million.”
Mulire said he saw the thugs running way into the bush leaving him in agony while his friend Mahedi died on the spot because the object that was thrown to him broke his neck.
Police Prosecutor Inspector Mc Rhino Lungu of Eastern Region Police Headquarters told the court that the accused persons deserved a stiffer punishment because life of an innocent person was lost during the robbery.
Lungu further said despite the two people being the first offenders the court had a duty to punish them severely, since there was no recovery of the money that they had stolen, causing the right owners Spur cash and carry company suffer for nothing.
When passing judgment Chief Resident Magistrate Ingolo Jeremiah said despite the two being first offenders they should be treated with no leniency.
He said apart from robbery they also killed an innocent person in the process, hence he sentenced them to 120 months Imprisonment With Hard Labour.
Mbawa hails from Ngwelelo village Traditional Authority Chikowi in Zomba and Mandala comes from Pitala village Traditional Authority Mpama in Chiradzulu District.
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