Mangochi Senior Resident Magistrate court has sentenced 25-year-old Thokozani Hassan to nine years in prison for breaking into houses and stealing items worth K3.5 million.

The court heard from state prosecutor Sub Inspector Maxwell Mwaluka that Hassan is a habitual criminal and has been terrorizing and committing serious breakings within the district from the month of November, 2019 to January 2020.

“During this period he broke into a number of houses and went away with property such as Laptops, Plasma TVs, Shaving machines, Cellphones, Amplifiers, Sub woofers among others, all items worth 3.5 million.

“Investigations were initiated and Mangochi Police detectives apprehended him at Mangochi Boma early January 2020 and recovered some of the stolen property,” said Mwaluka.

Mwaluka added that on January 25, 2020, Hassan escaped from Police custody but was re-arrested the same morning.

Hassan pleaded not guilty to all five charges leveled against him and the state paraded witnesses who proved beyond reasonable doubt.

In mitigation, Hassan asked for court leniency saying that he is a breadwinner.

But the state prayed for a custodial sentence while reminding the court that Hassan was once convicted and released in March 2019 after serving a 3-year term.

However, passing the judgement on Wednesday, Magistrate Joshua Nkhono expressed his concern noting that the ex-convict failed the rehabilitation system.

He therefore sentenced him to 9 years for Burglary, 8 years for another Burglary charge, 3 years for Theft, another 3 years for Theft and one year for escaping from lawful custody.  The sentences are to run concurrently.

Hassani is also facing seven other charges and the cases are in court.

Thokozani Hassan (25) hails from Chiutula Village Traditional Authority Jalasi in Mangochi.