A 40-year-old unemployed man of Chipata Township who burgled an office at the Lusaka Magistrate’s complex has been jailed for nine-years with hard labour.

On January 25 this year, Derrick Chipungu sneaked into the senior clerk’s office, where he stole two cellular phones, two pairs of shoes and K16,026. Chipungu was later arrested and charged with a count of breaking into a building and committing a crime. He pleaded guilty.

Yesterday, the matter came up for facts and sentencing before magistrate David Simusamba. Facts are that on that day, Tom Njovu, a security officer at the Magistrates’ Court, was conducting routine security checkups around the premises when he heard some odd noise. Mr Njovu reported the suspicious noise to Ridgeway Police Post and went back to check on the distraction in the company of a police officer.

The security officers discovered broken locks at the senior clerk’s office where Chipungu was found hiding under a staircase. The officers searched Chipungu and found him with K2,562. Some other money was found on the floor in the same office. Two cell phones, two pairs of shoes and money found on Chipungu were all valued at K18,200. Asked if the facts were correct, Chipungu replied in the affirmative.

In mitigation, he asked the court to exercise leniency because he is married with three children. “I am a patient on tuberculosis treatment,” he said. In his verdict, magistrate Simusamba said he had considered the fact that Chipungu pleaded guilty and did not waste the court’s time. “I will send you to prison for nine-years with hard labour with effect from the date of arrest,” magistrate Simusamba said. He further ordered that the recovered money should be taken to Government coffers and the phones and shoes returned to the respective owners.