The Kitwe Magistrates’ Court has sentenced a 27-year-man to a year with hard labour for stealing a wire strand worth K4,500, belonging to Mopani Copper Mines.

Kitwe Senior Resident magistrate Mwansa Chibalo told Chanda Kabwe, who was charged with theft, that the jail term would prove whether his fiancé truly loved him.

This was after Kabwe begged the court to be lenient on him as sending him to jail would hinder him from marrying his girlfriend whom he had been courting for three weeks.

Particulars of the offence in this matter were that on April 15, 2019, Kabwe stole a wire strand worth K4,500, the property of Mopani Copper Mines.

When the matter came up before magistrate Chibalo for plea, Kabwe admitted the charge and told the court that he wanted to use the wire strand as a clothing line.

And after the court convicted him, Kabwe told the court in mitigation that he was taking care of his mother who he said would suffer if he was jailed.

He further asked the court to be lenient on him as sending him to prison would hinder him from marrying his girlfriend of three weeks.

But when passing sentence, magistrate Chibalo said three weeks was too minimal for Kabwe to know a woman and decide to marry her.

He added that being in custody would reveal his fiance’s true colours, and if indeed she loved him, through visitations.

Magistrate Chibalo said a year was the right time for courtship and sentenced the accused to one year in prison with hard labour.

“If you are not happy with the sentence, you have a right to appeal within 14 days,” ruled magistrate Chibalo.