A 33-year-old man in Nkhotakota has been sentenced to five years in prison for robbery.
The convict has been identified as Owen Chideya.
The magistrates court at Nkhunga in Nkhotakota heard from Inspector Amos Mwase who narrated that on the night of 25 November, 2019 the victim Phillimon Jonas was on his way to Illovo (Dwangwa) factory where he works.
On the way, he met Chideya and two other thugs who assaulted him with a metal bar and later robbed him of a bicycle worth K36,000.
Two of the three men vanished with the said bicycle. Chideya remained as he tried in vain to rob Jonas’ mobile phone but was apprehended after Jonas shouted for help.
When he first appeared before court, Chideya pleaded not guilty to the charge of robbery.
After the state paraded five witnesses, on 13 December, 2019 the court convicted Chideya.
In mitigation, the convict told the court that apart from being a bread winner for his family, he also looks after his elderly grandfather.
Mwase the police prosecutor told the court that the convict is a habitual criminal and in 2017 he was also convicted on a similar charge.
Passing sentence, first grade magistrate Kingsley Buleya slapped Chideya the convict with a five year jail sentence.
Owen Chideya comes from Denja village in the area of TA Kanyenda in Nkhotakota district.
