The Senior Resident Magistrate Court sitting in Lilongwe has today sentenced two 41-year-olds, Davie Mthiko and Alid Mussa, to 15 years and 8 years imprisonment with hard labour respectively for attacking a woman and robbing her of a cellphone and handbag.
Public Relations Officer for Lingadzi Police Station Sub Inspector Salomy Zgambo has confirmed the conviction of the two criminals.
Sub Inspector Zgambo told Malawi24 that the court heard through police prosecutor Sergeant Moses Stephano that on April 14 2022 the duo a woman at Area 14 T-Junction where she was waiting for a lift.
Stephano said one of the suspects grabbed the victim by the neck and dragged her to the roadside bush where they robbed her of a cellphone and a handbag.
She said that in submission, the state pleaded for a stiff punishment saying the first accused person is answering similar charges on cases he committed in different occasions. Stephano added that giving them immediate custodial sentence will deter other would-be-offenders.
In mitigation, the convicts pleaded for leniency saying they have family obligations such that giving them custodial sentence will ruin lives of many dependents.
Passing judgement, Magistrate Shukran Kumbani quashed the mitigating factors and instead, concurred with the state that a custodial sentence would be ideal for them.
Magistrate Kumbani then sentenced Mthiko to 15 years imprisonment with hard labour saying he is becoming notorious. The magistrate further sentenced Mussa to 8 years imprisonment with hard labour for being a first offender.
Mthiko, 41 years, hails from Mthiko Village in Traditional Authority Wimbe in Kasungu while Mussa hails from Lulanga Village in Traditional Authority Makanjira in Mangochi.
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