The Lusaka Magistrates’ Court has sentenced a 22-year-old man of Woodlands Chalala area to two years imprisonment with hard labour for stealing his father’s phones, laptop and car side mirrors.

The Court observed that for the father to report to the police, it meant that he was tired of his son’s behaviour.

In this matter, Mubanga Sampa was charged with one count of theft.

He had pleaded guilty when the matter came up for plea, Monday.

Particulars of the offence were that between October 25 and November 1, last year, Mubanga stole two car side mirrors, an HP laptop and two Infinix phones, property all valued at K6,500, belonging to Katongo Sampa.

Facts in this matter were that between the material dates, Mubanga’s father, Sampa, noticed that some of his items had been missing in the house.

When investigations were launched into the missing items, it was revealed that Mubanga, who is Sampa’s son, was behind the theft of the properties.

Sampa reported the matter to the police and his son was subsequently arrested.

The two car side mirrors were recovered, but the rest of the items were sold by Mubanga.

In mitigation, Mubanga asked the Court to exercise leniency on him.

He said he was sorry for his actions and pledged to stop stealing from his father.

Mubanga also asked the Court not to send him to a correctional facility as he needed to re-write his science and mathematics examinations.

But passing her sentence, Magistrate Chanda said she had taken into consideration Mubanga’s mitigation, but insisted that he needed to be punished.

She said for his father to report to the police, it meant that he was tired of his behaviour.

Magistrate Chanda said she had to punish Mubanga by sending him to prison so that his father could be at peace.

“You have failed your father! You can still write you exams in the correctional facility,” ruled Magistrate Chanda.