Man jailed for stealing slippers

Love for his daughter has landed a 26-year old street vendor in trouble with the courts sentencing him to six months imprisonment with hard labour after being found guilty of stealing children's slippers worth K69.99 from Shoprite Checkers in Kitwe.

Daily Nation reported that Victor Kazumba of 919 Bulangililo township in Kitwe was yesterday sentenced to six months imprisonment with hard labour by Kitwe Principal Resident Magistrate Ikechukwu Iduma.

When the charge was read to him, Kazumba pleaded guilty to the charge of stealing slippers.

He said he wanted to steal the slippers so that he could go and give them to his daughter because the money he had could not afford to buy the foot wear.

"Yes, I admit the charge and the reason I stole the slippers was because I did not have enough money to buy the slippers for my daughter," Kazumba said.

Before the sentence was read out to him, Magistrate Iduma asked Kazumba if he had anything to say in mitigation.

Kazumba asked for forgiveness for the offence he committed and that  he had a daughter to look after.

In responding to the mitigation by Kazumba, Magistrate Iduma said he had heard what the accused had said and being the first offender, he was convicting the accused person on his own admission.

"I have taken note of what you have said in your mitigation and being the first offender, I have convicted you on your own admission and so I sentence you to six months imprisonment with hard labour. If you are not satisfied with the sentence, you can appeal at the High Court," Magistrate Iduma said.