A Chief Magistrates’ Court in Kaduna on Friday, sentenced a 26-year-old student, Micheal James, to eight months imprisonment for stealing two iPhones worth N350,000.
The convict, who resides in Ungwan Rimi, Kaduna State, had pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy and theft.
He begged the Judge for mercy.
Magistrate Ibrahim Emmanuel, however, gave James an option to pay a fine of N15, 000.
Emmanuel said the punishment would serve as a lesson to anybody who would in the future, indulge in such act.
He also ordered the convict to pay N150, 000 as compensation to the nominal complainant and N20, 000 as expenses incurred during the prosecution.
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Emmanuel directed James to pay the money within two weeks and held that in default of payment, the convict would spend additional eight months in prison.
Earlier, the Prosecution Counsel, Insp. Chidi Leo told the court that the convict committed the offence on Dec. 20 at Ungwan Rimi Kaduna.
Leo said that Garba Hassan, who resided in the same address as the defendants, reported the matter at the Divisional Police Headquarters Ungwan Rimi, Kaduna.
The prosecutor said the offence contravened the provisions of sections 59 and 271 of the Kaduna State Penal Code Law, 2017.(NAN)