The Nakonde Magistrate court has sentenced a 22- year old man of Nakonde District to twelve months imprisonment for stealing from his biological father.
Nakonde Resident Magistrate, Alice Walusiku sentenced Alick Phiri after finding him guilty of theft of a TV plasma valued at K6,500 property of his father, Alick Phiri senior.
In her ruling ,Magistrate Walusiku stated that she was sending Phiri to prison to make him realise that the law does not allow children to steal from their parents.
“Imagine you stole from your father’s place where you stay and a tv which you also watch,you are the children who are problematic to parents, when your parents are still alive, all property are theirs and you have no lawful right to take away anything in that manner,” Magistrate Walusiku said.
In this case, the accused is reported to have on February 19, 2023, stolen a plasma TV set from his father’s house.
It was heard in court that on February 19th, the accused’s father who works as a security guard returned from work and found his house intact.
He later decided to go to church with other members of his family except for Alick who decided to remain behind.
After they returned from church on the material date, his wife discovered that the television set had gone missing, adding that one of his daughters then informed him that her brother Alick phoned her to inform her that he was leaving for Lusaka.
The court also heard that it was not until the following day that Mr Phiri received a phone call from Nakonde police station where he found and identified both his son and the television set.
His son was later charged and arrested after he admitted having taken the TV.
However, when the matter was taken to court the accused pleaded not guilty saying the TV was his father’s and took it because he was not given money for a driving licence which he asked from his father.
During trial, the Prosecutor called two witnesses while the accused decided to give sworn evidence and called no witnesses.
The court found the accused guilty this afternoon and convicted him accordingly.
In his mitigation,the convict pleaded for leniency saying he has a health condition which he could not clearly explain before Court.
Magistrate Walusiku said Alick had no lawful justification to what he did and that she was sentencing him to 12 months imprisonment with hard labour in order to deter other would-be offenders.
“Have taken into account your mitigation and that you are first offender, however I will be failing in my duties if I let you go unpunished and punishing you will serve as a lesson to others as theft is so rampant in this district,” she added.
She further slapped the disobedient son with a 12- month’s jail sentence effective from the date of arrest.
Twelve months is not enough.