The Lusaka Magistrate Court has sentenced former Heavy Weight boxing champion Joseph (no pressure) Chingangu to 18 months imprisonment with hard labour on two counts of theft of goods and assault.
The two sentences will however run concurrently, according to Lusaka Magistrate Felix Kaoma however.
In this matter Chingangu is accused of having stolen suitcases containing clothes valued at K1, 400 from a motor vehicle, the property of Majory Mvula.
Chingangu also assaulted Ken Ngosa when he attempted to stop him from running away with the suitcase.
When the matter came up today, Magistrate Kaoma pointed out that it was sad that a former boxing hero in Zambia has reduced himself to a petty thief and has thrown away his integrity.
Magistrate Kaoma subsequently said he cannot exercise maximum lenience as requested by Chingangu because he is a second offender adding that he was sending Chingangu to jail so that others can learn because stealing is becoming prevalent.
This was after Chingangu pleaded with the court not to send him to jail because he has six children and a wife and that apart from that he was in charge of training some students in boxing.
Ends/SK