The Mangochi Second Grade Magistrate’s Court has convicted and sentenced 24-year-old Wilson Frazer to seven years’ imprisonment with hard labour (IHL) for a series of thefts targeting lodges in the district.
The court heard through Prosecutor Sergeant Stella Mazengera that for the past six months, lodge owners in the district had been reporting a series of thefts involving plasma television sets and beddings from their premises.
Investigations revealed the convict posed as a customer by booking a room and paying for accommodation while carrying a large carton, which he claimed contained a parcel to be sent elsewhere.
After spending a short while at the lodge, he would leave with the carton, pretending that he was going to send it through a Kabaza bicycle. The lodge owners would later discover that plasma television sets and bedsheets had been stolen.
Prosecutor Mazengera also informed the court that, in July 2026, Frazer used the same method at Mogas Lodge. However, his plan was exposed when he attempted to send the alleged parcel through a Kabaza bicycle, leading to his arrest.
Mangochi Police detectives subsequently recovered five plasma television sets in Mangochi and Dedza districts, where Frazer had sold the stolen items.
Appearing before court, he pleaded guilty to all five counts of theft by lodger and asked for leniency, citing his family responsibilities.
In her submissions, Prosecutor Mazengera opposed the plea for leniency, arguing that Frazer’s conduct could scare away customers and negatively affect other people’s businesses, hence pleaded for stiffer penalties.
In his ruling, Second Grade Magistrate Joshua Chirambo concurred with the State’s submissions.
Magistrate Chirambo sentenced Frazer to four years’ imprisonment with hard labour on each of two counts and three years IHL on each of the remaining three counts.
Chirambo further ruled that the two four-year sentences to run concurrently, while the three-year sentences were ordered to run consecutively to the four-year jail term, resulting in an effective sentence of seven years IHL as a deterrent to other would-be offenders.
Meanwhile, Frazer is also wanted by Nkhotakota, Salima, Liwonde and Ntaja police formations for allegedly committing similar offences.
Frazer hails from Nongwa Village, Traditional Authority Bwananyambi in Mangochi District.
