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HIGH COURT HOSE THIEF JAILED ONE YEAR

By LUCY PHIRI

The Lusaka magistrate court has sentenced a 30-year-old man of Kalingalinga Township in Lusaka to a year’s imprisonment with hard labour for stealing a hosepipe at the High Court grounds.

Appearing before magistrate Kelvin Soma was Dickson Mumba accused of theft contrary to the laws of Zambia.

Mumba admitted stealing the hosepipe, claiming that he wanted to sell it and buy food for his family.

It is alleged that on March 1, 2023 around 01:00 hours, security police officers based at the High Court caught Mumba stealing a black hosepipe after sounding an alarm.

It is also alleged that after the officers sounded the alarm, the accused tried to escape with the hosepipe but was caught.

The hosepipe was valued at K1, 350, and was recovered.

The police officers apprehended and arrested Mumba and charged him with the offence of theft which he admitted.

However, the court found him guilty and convicted him accordingly.

In his mitigation, Mumba begged the court to have leniency on him saying he was a married man with children who would suffer when jailed.

“I’m asking for maximum leniency. I will never do it again. I have learnt my lesson, I am a family man with two children and a wife who relies on me,” he said.

The court said he was a first offender who needed some leniency.

“I have considered what you said, you have not wasted the court’s time by accepting the charge. 

But out of every place you decided to just go and steal at the High Court grounds. 

You are not  happy how green that grass looks. And you’re not the only one who passes and sees the hosepipe there, but you decided to come for it in the night and stole it,” magistrate ruled.

Magistrate Soma said the offense he committed was serious and needed to be punished to deter would be offenders. He sentenced Mumba to a year’s imprisonment with hard labour from the day of his arrest.

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