Four robbers get 14 years each

The Midima resident magistrate courts has sentenced four people to 14 years imprisonment with hard labour each for robbery.

The convicts are Alex James aged 34, Mahara Somers aged 22, Andrew Mato aged 23 and Yohane John, 33.

The court heard that the robbers on the night of 28 September this year at Gong’onda village in Blantyre stole 10 blankets, 5 bed sheets, 3 DVD players and a cellphone all valued at 610,000 kwacha.

The court also heard that the robbers took away the items using violence. The four were arrested after investigations and they pleaded guilty before court to the charge of robbery.

Some of the goods were recovered and tendered in court as evidence.

In mitigation the four asked for lenience but state prosecutor inspector Mwantowe told the court that the convicts threatened the victim and the stolen goods were of high quality hence the need to slap the four with stiffer punishments.

Presiding magistrate Benedictus Chitsakamile then handed the convicts four year jail terms each to deter would-be offenders.

James hails from Mpunga village T/A Kadewere in Chiradzulu, Somers hails from Nangumi village T/A Machinjiri in Blantyre, Mato hails from Zangala village T/A Mlumbe in Zomba and John hails from Chisasiko village T/A Kadewere in Chiradzulu district.