Bandits Caged 3 Years Each

MUBANGA NONDO, Ndola
THE Ndola Magistrate’s Court has sentenced three bandits who broke into Radian Stores in Ndola a fortnight ago, to three years imprisonment each with hard labour.
They stole household goods and electrical appliances worth about K60,000.
One of the bandits was shot dead by police at the crime scene on the fateful day as he tried to escape.
The accused told Magistrate Benny Akende that they were still shaken after they saw how their accomplice was killed by police.
Mr Akende on Thursday convicted the accused after they entered a plea of guilty to the charge of breaking into a building and stealing the appliances.
Pethias Chilufya, 32, Paison Ndyai, 21, and Sunny Selemani, 21, on February 10, this year, in Ndola, broke into Radian Stores and stole electrical appliances with a total value of at K59,988.
“Based on your own admission of the facts as being correct, I find all of you guilty of the charge and I hereby convict you accordingly. I have taken into consideration what you have said in your mitigation and also the fact that you are all first offenders, hence, leniency will be awarded to you. But crimes of this nature have become rampant in Ndola and this reality cannot be ignored. I, therefore, sentence each one of you to three years imprisonment with hard labour with effect from February 18, the date on which you were arrested,” Mr Akende said.
The accused are free to appeal to the High court within 14 days.
Earlier in mitigation, the accused asked the court to be lenient on them as they were all remorseful for their actions, adding that they were also breadwinners of their respective families.
Facts read in court by public prosecutor Innocent Kamunga are that on the fateful day around midnight, police officers from the anti-robbery squad in Ndola received information that some people had broken into Radian Stores.
The court heard that when the officers rushed there, they found that the accused had broken into the store and some electrical appliances had been removed from the storeroom where they were being kept and were heaped at the entrance in readiness to be ferried.
The court also heard that the officers laid an ambush until the bandits who had gone out came back with vehicles on which to pack the stolen items.
The accused were apprehended but one of them was shot dead as he tried to escape, while the rest were taken to Ndola Central Police Station.
The accused admitted the offence. All the stolen items were recovered and kept as exhibits during trial.

Posted by Editor on February 28, 2015. Filed under CRIME. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.