Senior Resident Magistrate court sitting in Limbe has sentenced 32-year-old Maxwell Mateyu to 14 years in prison over robbery in Blantyre.
Police say the incident occurred on the night of October 25, 2022, at BCA in Limbe Township in Blantyre.
The court heard through Inspector John Chigundo a prosecutor at Limbe Police, that Mateyu together with two other accomplices invaded the house of 71-year-old Hazel Nyamilandu Manda in the area whilst armed with offensive weapons (panga knives).
The assailants heavily assaulted the victim before going away with 3 DSTV decoders, 2 Samsung Galaxy cellphones, K300,000 cash, and a metal container, all valued at K1,990,000.
Mateyu was later cornered by Limbe Police detectives and charged with ‘robbery’ an offence that contravenes Section 301(2) of the penal code.
Appearing in court, he denied the charge, prompting the state to parade two witnesses who testified against him, and was later found with a case to answer.
In submission, Chigundo pleaded with the court to mete out a deterrent sentence saying the offence committed is serious and attracts a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
The State prosecutor added that Mateyu’s actions were life-threatening as the victim is receiving treatment in a hospital abroad. Chigundo also stated that the stolen items were not recovered.
In mitigation, Mateyu pleaded for leniency saying he is a breadwinner for his family and takes care of his late sister’s children.
Passing judgment, Senior Resident Magistrate Byson Masonga, quashed the convict’s mitigation factors and sentenced him to 14 years imprisonment with hard labour, to serve as a deterrent to would-be-offenders.
Mateyu hails from Gombe Village in the area of Traditional Authority Thukuta in Thyolo.