A man in Likoni Mombasa has been sentenced to ten years imprisonment for breaking into a premise and stealing households.

Edward Atacha Moracha who appeared before mombasa resident magistrate Opiyo Green Odera yesterday  was convicted of house breaking contrary to section 304 (1) (b) and stealing contrary to section 279(b) of the penal code.

Edward had been accused of breaking and entering into the dwelling house of Prakesh Jetain Babu at stadium area in Mombasa Sub-county  Mombasa county stealing valuables including a full set of jewellery, two play stations, a 55-inch Sonny TV screen,  a gold watch, two canon cameras, one laptop and Ksh100.000 in cash.

The court considered the value of the stolen goods and the nature of the crime (burglary) when determining the sentence.

"The accused person is convicted of his own pleadings. I have considered the mitigation. I found no justification from the explanation as to why the accused person committed the offence. He is not remorseful. The items have not been recovered. I serve him to ten years jail sentence, " the magistrate said in his judgment 

The fact that the defendant was not a first-time offender was not considered in the sentencing. He could have maybe been subjected to a more substantial sentence due to the seriousness of the crime.

In kenya, Burglary can lead to imprisonment for up to ten years, while theft can result in a sentence of up to three years.

Written By: Peter Maseke.