Court sentences habitual offender to 6 years in prison for third conviction

In her judgement, the presiding magistrate told the court that facts admitted by the convict were that on 8 September 2026, at Pipeline, the complainant, Emmanuel Tobi, left his residence to go to work. On his way, the complainant realised that he had left one of his mobile phones and decided to return to retrieve it. Upon returning to his residence, he found his house open. He also received an alert on his mobile phone, indicating that someone had entered his house. He entered the house and found the convict inside holding two tablets belonging to him. He raised an alarm and shouted: “Thief! Thief! ” The convict attempted to run from the premises but neighbours responded to the alarm and apprehended him. The stolen property was recovered. The two tablets, the Tecno mobile phone and the other recovered property were admitted in evidence and marked as exhibits.

The value of the property stolen was D63,320, comprising two tablets valued at D42,320, one Tecno mobile phone valued at D15,000 and a calculus phone valued at D6,000. A black bag was also recovered from the convict. Inside the bag were a chisel, two pliers, two screwdrivers, a broken padlock, a black facial hood and a torch light with teaser. In his plea of mitigation, the convict begged the court for mercy. “I have two wives and children. My children are not attending school right now due to my actions,” he pleaded. “The court has carefully considered the following circumstances. It has taken into account the convict’s plea of guilt and his admission of the facts. His guilty plea has saved the court’s time and resources that would have been required for a full trial. The court further takes into account the fact that the stolen property was recovered. These are matters which the court considers to be…