3 years for bicycle thefts

RABECCA BANDA writes The Lusaka Magistrates Court has jailed two men three years each for stealing two bicycles worth K2, 100. Before magistrate Nsunge Chanda was Isaac Lungu and Brian Phiri accused of stealing an eagle bike and a mountain bike property of Vernon Mapani. Mr. Mapani, 44, a security guard told magistrate Chanda that on January 20, he locked his bicycles around the pillars of his house at 21:00hours. He said he went to sleep and when he woke up in the morning, the bicycles were missing. He said he saw footstep leading to the gate and followed until they led him to an unfinished house. He said he saw men in the house and his bicycles were inside. He said he called people to help him apprehend the thieves and managed to take them to the police station. He said the bikes were recovered. When the accused were asked to cross examine the witness, they admitted the charge. Magistrate: did you steal the bicycle? Lungu: Yes. Magistrate: Where did you steal the bicycles? Lungu? From a house in garden house area. Magistrate: What time did you steal the bicycle s? Lungu: Around 02:00 hours when we were coming from the funeral. Magistrate: How did you enter the yard? Lungu: I and Phiri had been seeing the bicycles at that house for a long time. Magistrate Chanda said the two wanted to deprive the complainant of his property which he worked hard to obtain. Magistrate: Did you share the bicycles? Phiri: Yes. Magistrate: Which bicycle did you ride? Phiri: I got the black one while Lungu got the green bike. Magistrate: Did the owner not need the bicycles? Phiri: He did. Magistrate: Why did you steal? Phiri: We wanted use the bicycles? Lungu pleaded for mercy from the court saying that a lot of prisoners have diseases and jail is a bad place. He said he was sorry for what he did and asked the court to give him a chance to reform outside jail. Phiri said he was sorry for his actions and has learned a lesson and will never take things that don’t belong to him. The court jailed the two three years imprisonment with hard labour.