Bicycle thief gets two-year jail term

By MULENGA MUSONDAA 47-YEAR-OLD in Choma will toil for 24 months for stealing a bicycle valued at K2, 500.Evans Hangandu, a resident of Zambia Compound was convicted by Resident Magistrate Salie Kanunka when he pleaded guilty to the charge of theft.Particulars of the offence are that Hangandu on November 11, in Choma stole a bicycle valued at K2, 500 the property of Buumba Miyanda.When he appeared for plea before the Choma Magistrates Court, Hangandu admitted the charge against him butadded that he mistakenly took thebBicycle because he was in a drunken state.Following his explanation, Magistrate Kanunka recorded a plea of not guilty. Hangandu insisted that he stole the bicycle and asked that the charge be read to him for the second time.When it was read for the second time, he admitted to stealing the bicycle and stated that his intentions were to start using it.According to the facts stated by Senior Public Prosecutor Alex Syulikwa, the suspect was apprehended by school pupils on the very day as he sped off with the stolen bicycle.Despite being a first offender and pleading guilty, Magistrate Kanunka said, she would be failing in her duties if she left him unpunished. She sentenced him to 24 months imprisonment with hard labour.