The Kitwe Magistrates’ Court has sent three men to Kamfinsa correctional facility for 42 months for breaking into Chibote secondary school.

Nelson Mumba, 37, Kelly Chimenge, 38, and Chilekwa Mpundu, 38, were charged with two counts of breaking into a building and committing a felony therein.

Particulars of the offense in the first count were that on February 12, 2019 in Kitwe, the three accused persons broke into Chibote Girls Secondary school and stole one water pump worth K1,500, the property of the Republic of Zambia.

Particulars in the second count were that Mumba and Mpundu on March 10, 2019 broke into the dwelling house of Mordechai Sinkala and stole 4 cell phones, 1 music system, 1 television, 1 battery, 2 solar panels and a pair of gumboots all together valued at K16,111.

Appearing before Principle Resident Magistrate Chongo Musonda for plea, the three accused persons admitted to committing the offence.

Magistrate Musonda told the accused persons that upon their own admission of the offence, she had found them guilty as charged.

The accused persons told the court that they stole the said items and broke into the school so that would pay their children’s school fees and sort out personal problems.

In mitigation, the accused persons begged for maximum leniency saying they had learnt a lesson.

But magistrate Musonda said Kitwe had been facing a lot of criminal activities and there was need to punish offenders so as to deter would be offenders.

Magistrate Musonda sentenced them to 42 months imprisonment with hard labour.