Nairobi News

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Armed robbery convicts beg magistrate for time to ‘pray for lenient sentences’


Five men found guilty of robbery with violence caused drama in court as they cried and pleaded with the court to adjourn their sentencing to enable them seek divine intervention for lenient sentences.

“Your honour I’m shocked; I am almost fainting in this dock. Kindly allow me to go back to prison remand to cry to my God before you sentence me,” one of the convicts told Eldoret Chief Magistrate Charles Obulutsa after he had read the judgment.

Another told the court that after the pronouncement that they were guilty, he was “seeing stars with a bleak future” in prison.

“I cannot believe what I have heard I need a moment of silence with my God to know why God has allowed this judgment, I am yet to marry how will my life be if this court will sentence me,” he said in disbelief.

The court heard that Vincent Lagat, Alex Nyongesa, Jessy Maina, Daniel Gatuku and Humprey Mwangi on December 23, 2017 at Kesses village in Kesses Sub County, while armed with dangerous weapons, robbed Robbert Kaptich of his household items and other accessories valued at Sh46,450 as they threatened to cut him into pieces during the incident.

They all denied the charge. Since then, they have been in prison remand after they were unable to raise a Sh500,000 bond.

They were unable to mitigate as they started speaking gibberish while in court.

LIFE IMPRISONMENT

“I hope now you have settled down. The maximum sentence that this offence attracts is life imprisonment,” the magistrate told them.

The magistrate, who was to proceed on leave after sentencing them, was also perplexed by the behaviour of the five, telling them that their sentencing had been postponed.

“Though this court is expected to proceed to leave after your sentencing, I find it justifiable to give you more time to prepare for mitigation and sentencing as you have pleaded with the court,” said the magistrate.

He directed the case to be mentioned on September 17.