Blantyre First Grade Magistrate Court this week sentenced a 50-year-old man to 6 months imprisonment with hard labour for being found guilty of stealing four Bibles.
State Prosecutor, Constable Tamara Kamphero of Soche Police told the court that on August 7, 2018, Samuel Bester was caught stealing the Bibles at Grey Matter Bookshop at Chichiri Shopping Mall by shop attendants as he tried to escape from the shop.
Kamphero further said Bester was taken to Soche Police where he was charged with the offence of theft contrary to Section 278 of the Penal Code.
Appearing before First Grade Magistrate Soko Banda, Bester pleaded guilty of the offence.
In submission, the State Prosecutor asked the court to give a stiffer punishment to Bester because he was a habitual offender.
“In May this year, this very court found the offender guilty of a similar offence after he stole Colgate tooth paste worth K5, 400 at a shop in Chitawira,” she told the court.
During mitigation, Bester told the court that his actions were due to the influence of evil spirit (Satan) and begged for leniency, citing that he has a wife and four children that he takes care of.
Passing judgment,Magistrate Soko Banda said he had given the sentence to set an example to others of similar intentions.
Samuel Bester hails from Kaselema Village in Traditional Authority Chikowi in Zomba District.
