THE COURTS will not tolerate people who invade into other people’s home and steal their valuable belongings, says Principal Magistrate Fatima Taeburi.
She sent out the message when sentencing an 18 year-old boy who was convicted of a burglary charge yesterday.
“You and others must know that the Courts will not tolerate people who invade into other people’s homes and steal their valuable belongings. It is wrong.
“As I have said this before and I will say it again, people in our society must go to sleep at night knowing that their families and properties are safe.
“No one is supposed to go to sleep with one eye open,” she told Junior Earnest Legumana.
Legumana and his friend at around 3am of 28 September 2014, went to the victim’s house while he was asleep and stole a bag containing a laptop valued at $6,020, a notebook tablet valued at $1,500, a mobile phone, a keyboard, mouse, power cable, $1,000 cash.
The bag itself was valued at $350.
The court heard that out all of the items stolen, the mobile phone, keyboard, mouse and power cord were recovered.
The other items were not recovered.
She told Legumana that the offence of burglary is a serious one and that is why Parliament sets maximum penalty for the offence at life imprisonment.
After taking into account the aggravating features and the mitigating factors in this case, Ms Taeburi imposed a sentence with a starting point of 18 months which she said was appropriate in that case.
She however deducted six months for Legumana’s early guilty plea and two months for the other mitigating factors submitted on his behalf.
“You are sentenced to 10 months imprisonment.”
The four months in which the accused already served in custody were also taken into account.
Legumana was told he has the right to appeal within 14 days.
Lazarus Kwaiga of Public Solicitor’s Office is represented the accused while Police Prosecutor Moses Reani represented the State.
By ASSUMPTA BUCHANAN
