Amuru Grade I Magistrate’s Court has convicted and jailed a thief who admitted stealing from a born-again church in Amuru district.
Robert Deng, aged 28, appeared before Joseph Angole, the Amuru Grade I Magistrate on Friday last week and charged with break-in and theft.
Prosecution alleges that on June 16, 2017 at Elegu border town in Atiak Sub County, Amuru district, Deng broke into a church belonging to Pastor Vincent Mujusi Ssalongo and stole a music mixer and a wireless microphone, valued at 910,000 shilling.
Deng denied the accusations and blamed his predicament on two other men who are still at large.
He told Magistrate Angole that he was hired by the two men to ferry the stolen items to an electronic shop and was told they had a mechanical fault. He claims he was arrested but the two men who escaped.
Deng amused court when he later changed his statement and admitted to stealing the music mixer and the wireless microphone although he said he did not break the church door.
Subsequently, the magistrate convicted him on his own plea.
The state prosecutor asked court for a one- year sentence for the thief. But the magistrate instead sentenced Deng to 18 months in jail stating that stealing from a church aggravated the matter.
Deng is also facing another charge of threatening a police officer. He however denied the charge. The Magistrate remanded him until August 3, 2017 when hearing of the matter will begin.
