Burglary, unlawful wounding earn Ntchisi man 8 years

The Ntchisi First Grade Magistrate’s Court Friday last week sentenced Lingison Pwetekere, 28, to eight years imprisonment with hard labour for burglary, theft and unlawful wounding.

Ntchisi Police spokesperson Gladson M’bumpha said on Monday the court heard that on the night of June 18 2012 Phwetekere broke into the house of Serious Chifu at Ntchisi Trading Centre with intent to steal.

He said police prosecutor Constable Sabston Chidothi told the court that on the same day the suspect stole a mattress and bed sheet worth K7 000 belonging to Chifu and later wounded Willard Tambala while running away with the stolen items.

“Chifu had gone for drinking at Njanja and returned home at around 9pm. He was surprised to see that the door of his house was wide open.

Upon entering the house, he found nobody and discovered that his mattress and a bed sheet were missing,” said M’bumpha.

In his ruling, magistrate Alex Kantiki told the court that due to the gravity of the offences, the suspect deserved a heavy punishment.

He sentenced Phwetekere to eight years for burglary, one year for theft and another one year for unlawful wounding.

The sentences will run concurrently.