The ManicaPost
Tendai Gukutikwa Weekender Correspondent
A ZIMUNYA teenager who broke into his neighbour’s fowl run and stole 14 chickens and pleaded for leniency saying he was starving to death has been slapped with an eight-month jail term for stock theft.
Courage Duma (18) was convicted on his own guilty plea when he appeared before Mutare magistrate, Mr Tendai Mahwe last Wednesday.
Duma who took advantage of his neighbour Eric Duma’s absence and broke into his fowl run had two months of his sentence suspended for five years on condition of good behaviour.
A further one month was suspended on condition that he restitutes the complainant of $91.
Of the remaining five months, Duma was given an option of committing 175 hours of community service at St Weiburs Clinic.
In passing his sentence, Mr Mahwe said stealing from a relative was a very serious offense which deserves a deterrent sentence. He however said the courts need to keep first offenders out of jail.
“A deterrent sentence is called for in your matter. However, it is the policy of the courts to keep first offenders, especially those who do not waste the court’s time by pleading guilty out of jail,” he said.
Mr Chris Munyuki presecuted.
When the complainant discovered that his chickens had been stolen he approached Duma who denied stealing them.
The complainant then found one chicken at his neighbour’s homestead and was told that it had been sold to them by Duma.
After another confrontation, Duma confessed to stealing the chickens.
He told the court that he was hungry and needed money to buy food.
