Two men in Chikwawa were on Monday convicted and sentenced to eight years imprisonment with hard labour (IHL) by the Chikwawa Second Grade Magistrate Court for stealing two motorcycles.

The court heard that Thomas Nazario, 23, and Watson Damiyano, 32, broke into the house of Felena Kubwalo aged, 47, and went away with a Lifo motorbike, registration numbers ZA 7412 and a Honda motorbike registration number CK568.

Lifo motorbike belongs to Kubwalo while the Honda motorbike belongs to Catholic Development Commission (CADECOM) where Kubwalo works.

The court further heard that between the night of November 19 and 20, 2017, the accused persons hit and broke the door of Kubwalo’s house with a big stone and stole the motorbikes in the process.

The incident occurred at Lauji 1 Village in the area of Traditional Authority Katunga in the district.

“Kubwalo realized later when she woke up that her house was broken into and two motorbikes were stolen. She immediately reported the matter to police,” Police Prosecutor Inspector Helix Kamkweche told the court.

Kamkweche said the police launched a search and on the same night found one motorcycle abandoned in a graveyard within the village.

“Further investigations led to the arrest of the accused two and the recovery of the other motorcycle at Juda Village in the same area,” Kamkweche told the court, adding that both men pleaded guilty to the counts of burglary and theft.

In their mitigation, the two pleaded for lenience, saying they were bread winners for their families.

Passing sentence, Second Grade Magistrate Joram Zebron said cases of burglary and theft are rampant in the district and therefore culprits ought to be given stiff sentences.

Magistrate Zebron sentenced the duo to six years imprisonment each for burglary and two years each for theft; the sentences will run concurrently.

Nazario comes from Mologeni Village in T.A. Katunga while Watson Damiyano hails from Bereu Village in T.A. Maseya in the district.