The First Grade Magistrate’s Court in Dowa has sentenced 21-year-old Innocent Poita to five years in prison with hard labour for sodomising four boys aged between 10 and 17.

The court through state prosecutor Sub Inspector Ezra Bakili heard that Poita committed the offence from 2016 up to November 19 2020 at Group Village Headman Mwawende in the area of Traditional Authority Chiwere in Dowa District where the boys used to watch films on his phone.

Appearing before court, Poita pleaded guilty to a charge of sodomy. In mitigation, he asked the court for leniency, saying he looks after orphans and that he is a breadwinner for his family.

But in his submission, state prosecutor Sub Inspector Bakili asked the court for a stiff punishment, saying the offence committed is serious in nature.

Magistrate Amran Phiri quashed the mitigation factors and sentenced Poita to five years imprisonment with hard labour.

Poita comes from Ndalama Village in the area of Traditional Authority Chiwere in Dowa District while all the four victims are from Mwawende Village in area of Traditional Chiwere in the same district of Dowa.