Man gets 6 years for K3 000 robbery

The Blantyre Magistrate’s Court on Monday sentenced a robber to six years imprisonment with hard labour for robbing a woman of K3 000 (US$8) and other items.

The court learnt that Baxton Chimimba, 27, from Chilumpha Village, Traditional Authority (T/A) Chikowi in Zomba, robbed Ivy Mangwalangwa the K3 000 and other items which were in a handbag.

Presiding senior resident magistrate, Viva Nyimba, who found the accused guilty, said there was a need to mate out a stiff penalty to deter would-be offenders to make towns safe for everyone.

The convict was a boy who was carrying goods for people in town at a fee and was reported to have robbed the victim around 6 pm on August 24 this year, in company of two other colleagues who escaped the arrest, using threats.

Nyimba, passing the sentence, said the accused, according to the evidence by the prosecution, was also a second offender, having been previously sentenced to four years imprisonment with hard labour on a similar charge, which he served.

The magistrate said the maximum sentence for robbery was 14 years imprisonment with hard labour, but he considered a fact that the convict did not use dangerous weapons.

Nyimba said: “But considering that though the commission of the crime was not the worst of its kind, [but] robbery cases of this nature…is becoming rampant in our society particulary in towns.

“…women are scared to move with their handbags for fear of such nature of robberies.”

The convict, who denied the charge, failed to call a single witness despite mentioning names of friends he was with on this particular day.

The incident, the court learnt, happened near Blantyre Sports Club and was arrested later near Nandos (now Kips) in Blantyre town after the victim recognised him an hour later after the robbery.