A 40-year-old man in Machinga has been slapped with a sentence of 140 months imprisonment with hard labour after a court found him a convict on an offence of armed robbery contrary to section 301(20) of the penal code.
The convict is identified as Pichesi Kasalang`ombe who hails from Mbundi village in the area of traditional authority Chikweo in Machinga.
State prosecutor Constable Gift Kalamula told Nanyumbu Second Grade Magistrate Court that the convict committed the offence on 11 January in accompany of his two friends who are still being wanted.
During the night, the criminals broke into the house of Estery Khumbanyiwa where they found her and family members asleep.
While in there, the convict grabbed Khumabanyiwa by the neck demanding her not to scream and reveal where she keeps her money. The victim was bashed with a panga knife on the left arm when she replied she had no money until the convict`s two friends who were searching around the house found a cellphone and K25, 000 cash in a small box.
During that time, a 9-year-old girl sneaked out of the house and shouted for help until Khumbanyiwa`s father, M`doma Aliya rushed to the scene in rescue of the family.
The convict`s two friends fled upon seeing M`doma coming towards the house. Thereafter, a fight broke between the convict and M`doma and it was during this time when Khumbanyiwa jumped to the criminal and pulled his pen*s until he fall down and M`doma managed to tie his legs and hands.
The villagers finally showed up and referred him to Chikweo police station.
In court, Kasalang`ombe denied the charge but later four witnesses testified against him hence his conviction.
The state prosecutor Kasalamula, told the court that Kasalang`ombe was not the first offender as he was also convicted for an offence of Burglary and theft in 2014.
He also cited that the victim was seriously wounded and for that reason, Kasalang`ombe deserved a stiff punishment to keep him away from the public.
When passing the judgment, Second Grade Magistrate Maxwell Boazi concurred with the state and sentenced him to 140 months imprisonment with hard labour.
