By Lewis Changwe –
A THIRTY-EIGHT-YEAR-OLD peasant farmer of Lubunda chiefdom in Mwense District in Luapula Province has been sentenced to 18 months imprisonment with hard labour for assault and theft.
Mubanga Chewe, on January 13, this year, assaulted Miriam Kaira after a dispute, thereby occasioning her actual bodily harm.
In count two, particulars were that on January 21, this year, Chewe stole one DSTV decoder, a DVD player and a television set, all valued at K6,500, property belonging to Ms Kaira.
Chewe admitted the charge and requested the court for lenience as he was a first offender.
In passing judgment, magistrate Moses Mulenga said cases of gender-based violence (GBV) were on the rise in the district, adding that there was need to punish such offenders in order to deter others from committing similar offences.
He sentenced him to eight months imprisonment with hard labour for count one, and 18 months with hard labour for count two. The sentences would run consecutively.
And Mr Mulenga also sentenced Gerald Mwape, 21, of the same chiefdom to six months imprisonment with hard labour for theft by servant.
Facts were that on May 27, 2016, Mwape stole some fish worth K150 from his employer, Doris Mwaba.
After pleading guilty to the charge, the magistrate sentenced him to six months imprisonment with hard labour effective from the date of arrest.—ZANIS
