Toy gun robber gets 9 years IHL

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Machinga

A court in Machinga on Friday sentenced a 39-year-old motorcycle taxi operator to nine years imprisonment for stealing money from a man using a toy gun.

The man Akim Chapola stole K400,000 from the victim after lying that he would help him buy a cow.

According to Machinga Police, Prosecutor Cliff Kalawa of Ntaja Police told the court that on October 12 this year the victim Leonard Cassim went to Mbanila Trading Centre with an intention to buy a cow.

While there, Cassim met Chapola who is also a motorcycle taxi operator and he told Cassim that he would assist him in looking for a cow.

On their way to buy the cow, Chapola produced a toy gun and pointed it at Cassim while demanding cash from him.

The victim later surrendered the money amounting to K400,000 to the thief who also took his cellphone and ran away.

The victim then lodged a complaint at Ntaja Police Post who arrested the suspect and seized the toy gun.

When the court found the thief guilty, Prosecutor Kalawa prayed for a stiff punishment to the convict since the victim suffered being beaten and losing the money and that the thief tarnished reputation of motorcycle taxi operators.

In mitigation, the convict asked for fair penalty since he was a first offender and was looking after many children and his grandparents.

Nanyumbu Second Grade Magistrate Maxwell Boazi sentenced Chapola to nine years in jail for robbery saying the thief benefited from all the money and it will take a long time for the complainant to accumulate the same amount of money.

Akim Chapola hails from Mbanila Village, Paramount Chief Kawinga in Machinga District.

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