By CHATULA KAMPO –
THE Ndola magistrate’s court has ordered 12-month probation for a 17-year-old boy who stole a T-shirt valued at over K199 from Edgars Active in Ndola.
Magistrate Moffat Phiri ordered the probation for the Grade 11 boy of Mupapa Boarding School after finding him guilty of the offence upon his admission of guilt.
The boy on February 4 this year in Ndola stole a T-shirt valued at K199.50 from Edgars Active at Jacaranda Mall in Ndola.
The juvenile offender told the court that he stole the T-shirt because he had admired it.
The fact in this case was that the juvenile on the material day, around 12:00 hours, was caught with the stolen shirt by a security guard at Edgars store.
He was taken to Masala Police Station where he admitted stealing the item after being interviewed.
In mitigation, the juvenile offender, who was represented by his older brother and a social welfare officer, pleaded for lenience and told the court that he wanted to go back to school.
The juvenile’s brother pleaded that his younger brother was sorry for his action and that he had learnt a lesson during his incarceration.
The social welfare probation officer Angela Mwanza recommended that the juvenile be placed on probation for 12 months.
She pleaded that the boy was a first offender who had admitted to the charge
Magistrate Phiri, in sentencing the boy, took in to account the mitigation and ordered that the boy be put on probation for one year.