Balaka Senior Resident Magistrate court has ordered 37-year-old Eladi Efati to serve 21 years and 8 months in prison for stealing and extortion.
The convict, is expected to answer another case of killing the owner of the house from which he stole K350 000 worth of property.
Balaka Police Deputy Spokesperson Mphatso Munthali has confirmed the matter.
State prosecutor Liston Sabola told the court that on April 3 this year, the wife of the late Akimu Liwonde received a call from her son to go to her house as soon as possible.
“When they arrived at the house, they found that the window had been broken and some property had been stolen. They also found that their husband had been killed by an assailant in the house,” said Munthali.
The items stolen are two bags of corn, two phones, sandals, clothes, kitchen utensils and a blanket.
The blanket is what made Efati to be arrested after it was found with his wife when she was trying to sell it.
Efati pleaded guilty to breaking into the house and when the court found him guilty, he asked for mercy because it was his first time committing the crime. But Sabola asked the court to impose a strict sentence because the crime is very serious.
However, Senior resident magistrate Joshua Nkhono said that Efati whose home is in the village of Chimutu chief Makwangwala in Ntcheu, should be sent to prison so that others can learn from it.
