Senior resident Magistrate court in Chikwawa has slapped Samuel Ndagonera 18 years imprisonment with had labour for defiling 3 year child.

Through prosecutor superintendent Ian Mtaba, court heard that on 26 July 2023, Samuel Ndagonera who is bicycle tax operator took a child to Thabwa from Dembo where along the road he committed the offence .

On 28 July the suspect was arrested and charged with sextual intercourse with a child contrary to section 138 (1) of penal code , chapter 7: 01 of laws Malawi , but Ndagonera denied the charge.

The state brought three witnesses and medical report.

The medical report indicated that indeed the child was defiled because there was penetration and that the child suffered in lacerations of hymen .

On passing the judgement, senior Resident Magistrate Byson Masonga convicted the suspect .

Masonga said he was satisfied with the testimonies that were rendered in the court.

Ndagonera asked for lenience as he was the first offender.

In his mitigation, station prosecutor Mtaba asked the court to give stiffer punshment to deter the others as the conduct is common in the district.

Senior Resident Magistrate Byson Masonga gave 18 years imprisonment with had labour to ndagona from the date of arrest.

Samuel Ndagona, 25, comes from Thukuta Village , TA Katunga, Chikwawa district.

In related development , Chikwawa First Grade Magistrate court Joram Zebron has denied bail application by John Manja a person who is suspected to be notorious thief along escapement of Chikwawa road.

Manja was charged with offence of theft contrary to section 278 of the penal code .

The particulars of the case shows that on 1 August this year , Tayanjana Zimba Wakwana together with Moffat Mario were travelling in a double cabin from Blantyre to Chikwawa, and upon arriving in Chikwawa they found that other items were missing , and in the next morning John Manja was selling some of the items that lead to arrest .

The court agree with the sub inspector Frank Ngokeka who is the prosecutor to deny the bail because the the state had remaining with one witness to finish the testmonies , and that the suspect is on the court bail for similar offense.

John Manja 34, comes from Namila Village , Traditional Authority Mlilima Chikwawa.