THEFT of a mobile phone has earned a 35-year-old man of Kitwe a-four-year term in the correctional facilities with hard labour.

Gift Nyanje was charged with one count of theft from motor vehicle, an offence he denied before Kitwe Senior Resident Magistrate Owen Mwansa Chibalo.

On October 9, last year in Kitwe, Nyanje stole one laptop and one cell phone both valued at K7,950 from a Toyota Land Cruiser ACJ 7741, belonging to Peter Kalolekesha.

When the matter came up for judgement, Mr Chibalo said it was clear that Mr Kalolekesha found his vehicle broken into and his laptop and phone were stolen.

Nyanje broke the rear glass before going away with the gadgets.

Mr Chibalo said the offence of breaking into people’s vehicles had become so prevalent on Central Street in Nkana East and that Nyanje deserved a befitting punishment.

After the theft, the phone was then sold at Chisokone market by a trader who had displayed it on his stand on behalf of Nyanje at a commission. The magistrate dismissed Nyanje’s unsworn statement that he picked the Huwei phone at Chisokone and gave it to his friend to sell it for him.

He said it was indisputable that the phone and laptop were stolen in a vehicle that was parked outside a night club on Central Street in Nkana east.

Mr Chibalo said accused failed to account for the stolen phone. He added that the phone was a traceable object and it was in a fairly new state which meant that it could not have been thrown away.

He therefore sentenced him to four years imprisonment with hard labour.