First Grade Magistrate Court in Rumphi on Monday convicted and sentenced three Men to eight years imprisonment with hard labor (IHL) for house breaking and theft.

The three are said to have broken into the house and stole a Samsung Laptop and a Flash disk belonging to Tionge Zima who went to Rumphi market at the time of the incident.

Police prosecutor inspector Kelvin Ng’ambi told the court that the incident happened during the wee hours of 8th May, 2020 at Nyika Urban Area in Rumphi.

The suspects were apprehended when one of them was selling the said stolen Flash disk, and later the laptop was recovered.

They were charged with the offences of house breaking and theft which flouts sections 309 (a) and 278 of the Penal Code respectively.

Appearing in court, the convicts denied the charges leveled against them, a situation that prompted the state to parade 3 witnesses who testified against them.

In submission, the state pleaded with the court to give stiffer sentence to deter would-be offenders.

In mitigation, the three convicts prayed for a lenient sentence claiming they are first time offenders and breadwinners, as such, their families will suffer if they get jailed.

Magistrate Phiri then slapped the convicts with 8 years imprisonment with hard labor for the count of house breaking and another two years with hard labor for the count of theft. The sentences will run concurrently.

The convicts; Manfred Luhanga 33, hails from Jama village under Paramount Chief Chikulamayembe in Rumphi, Thokozani Kwakwata 36, hails from Chifisi village, Traditional Authority Mwambo, Zomba and Chawanangwa Mhango 20, comes from Mpeta village under senior Chief Mwankhunikila in Rumphi.