Man gets 23 years IHL for theft
A 22-year-old man will spend the next 23 years behind bars after the Balaka Second Grade Magistrate’s Court convicted and sentenced him for housebreaking and theft charges.
Balaka Police Station prosecutor Isaac Mponela identified the convict as John Bunaya, of Kandengwe Village, Traditional Authority Nsamala in Balaka who he described as an impulsive kleptomaniac specialised in day light housebreakings.
“Between 3 March, 2015 and 13th May, 2015, Bunaya had been terrorising Balaka Secondary School campus, Bakita and Majiga area where he broke into houses belonging to Gloria Mphwiyo, Ruth Marley, Rachel Jiya and William Munthali and went away with a mountain bike, two bags of maize, a laptop computer, mattress, cooking oil, sugar; a digital camera, a Nokia Asha cell phone and some groceries amounting to K72, 000 among other items,” Mponela said.
According to Balaka Police spokesperson Joseph Sauka, the convict pleaded guilty to all five counts.
“In their submissions before court, the state prosecutors Isaac Mponela, Getrude Chingolo Kafumbula and Anthony Mtambo prayed to the court to consider giving Bunaya a stiff sentence, saying he was a threat to society,” Sauka said.
In mitigation, Bunaya asked for leniency, saying he was still young, a bread winner for his family and that he looks after his aged parents.
However, the Magistrate agreed that Bunaya was a threat to society and deserved a stiffer sentence.
Housebreaking is a serious offence contrary to Section 309 of the Penal Code and is punishable by death or life imprisonment with hard labour.
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