— Court orders three year sentence for a pig-stealing juvenile

Itezhi Tezhi magistrate court has ordered   a seventeen year old pupil of Chief Musungwa’s chiefdom in Itezhi Tezhi district in central province to be sent to Katombora reformatory prison after failing to comply with community service sentence.

The   juvenile who resides in Shimbulo village in Basanga was jointly charged with another 18-year-old for  stock theft contrary to section 275(1) Cap 87 of the Laws of Zambia in September last year.

 “The court is deeply disappointed that after it felt lenient to give you a six months community service for such a serious offence of stock theft, you consciously ignored the order.

“The court has no option left but to send you to Katombora reformatory open prison for a period of three years” Magistrate Munalula Mubita said when sentencing the juvenile.

Facts of the case are that on 27 July 2014, at Itezhi Tezhi in Itezhi Tezhi district the juvenile with his accomplice did steal four pigs valued at K2, 800, the property of Precious Muzyazhi.

Itezhi Tezhi magistrate Munalula Mubita said he found the juvenile guilty as charged.

In mitigation, social welfare officer Gloria Siluonde said that the juvenile was a first offender and that he enjoyed school despite lacking sponsorship.

 And in sentencing the duo magistrate Munalula Mubita said that the court has considered that the pupil did not comply with the community service order, the prevalence of the offence in Itezhi Tezhi and that above all the recommendation of the social welfare office and then ordered that he   be sent to Katombora juvenile Reformatory facility in Kazungula.