Man jailed for one year, three months for buying schoolgirl, 15, alcohol
A man has been sentenced to one year and three months’ imprisonment by a Nyeri court for supplying alcohol drinks to a 15-year-old girl.
Dickson Githoi Muchemi was charged on two counts of supplying alcoholic drinks to a minor and failing to protect a child from use of drugs and drinks.
In her judgement, Senior Resident Magistrate Nelly Kariuki said that the fact the accused had tried hiding the child after getting her drunk was clear and undisputed evidence of guilt.
‘”According to the witnesses, the accused pleaded with bar attendants to hide the girl at their place of residence behind the bar after finding out that police had been notified, which showed admission of guilt,” Ms Kariuki said in her ruling.
She added that the receipt produced in the police station showed that the accused had bought one bottle of Balozi beer and two cans of Guarana Smirnoff drinks and not a bottle of soda as he claimed.
Mr Muchemi had also admitted to have taken alcohol when he was arrested.
THE ACCUSED
The accused was arrested on March 29, 2018 at Mr Nice Bar and Restaurant in Chaka trading centre, Nyeri after bar attendants alerted the police that the accused was drinking with a minor.
Ms Teresiah Wanjiku, a cleaner at the bar, had told the court that during that time, Mr Muchemi entered the bar alone and inquired if there was a room available before ordering the drinks.
After serving the drinks she went to do laundry but was later called back at the counter by her colleague Grace Karanja who noticed that the accused was in the company of a minor wearing school uniform.
“The child was having a Guarana Smirnoff drink and one of the cans was already empty,” Ms Karanja told the court.
The attendants then decided to inform the Assistant Chief of Chaka Location who notified police officers from Kiganjo.
At the time, the court heard that Mr Muchemi was persuading the bar attendants to hide the minor in one of their residences behind the bar.
But the accused said that he had been travelling back to Nyeri from Nairobi and stopped at Chaka for a beer at the club with a friend when three women walked into the bar, one of whom he knew as a neighbour.
“I gave the woman some sweet potatoes that I had bought on my way to Nyeri to take home and bought her a soda,” Mr Muchemi explained.