MUBANGA NONDO, Ndola
NDOLA magistrate Chitundu Chongo has sentenced a 26-year-old man of Mushili township in Ndola to eight months imprisonment with hard labour for breaking into two houses.
In this case, Gershom Bunda of house number 1553 pleaded not guilty to two counts of burglary.
Delivering judgment last Wednesday, Ms Chongo said she was satisfied that the prosecution had proved its case against Bunda beyond reasonable doubt.
“I am satisfied that it was the accused who broke into the homes of the two complainants after going through the evidence of the prosecution. I, therefore, find the accused guilty as charged and I hereby convict him accordingly.
“I sentence you to eight months imprisonment with hard labour with effect from September 23, 2014, when you were arrested,” Ms Chongo said.
Bunda, on dates unknown but in May last year, broke into Mercy Mwamba and Veronica Phiri’s houses.
In mitigation, Bunda asked the court to be lenient on him because he is remorseful for his actions.
Bunda vowed never to commit a similar offence in future.
During trial, Ms Phiri and Ms Mwamba told the court that Bunda broke into their houses at night but they thwarted his attempts to steal their property.
Ms Phiri told the court that she apprehended Bunda.
She told the court that Bunda only had boxer shorts on when she apprehended him.
She said she took Bunda to Mushili Police Station.
In defence, Bunda denied knowing Ms Mwamba but that he knew Ms Phiri as they used to attend the same school.
He claimed that he was drunk on the fateful night and that he went to Ms Phiri’s house to spend a night with his friend only identified as Ken.
But Ms Phiri denied having a brother named Ken.
“However, it has been established that the said Ken does not live at any of the two residences and is not known by the occupants of the two houses. I believe the only inference that can be drawn from this case is that the accused went to the two houses with the intention to steal and he is the person that broke into the two complainants’ houses,” Ms Chongo said.