A Kisumu court has sentenced a man to 10 years in prison after he was found guilty of causing grievous bodily harm by beating his sister-in-law with a pair of pliers over a Sh500 dispute.
The incident, which led to the removal of her right eye, also left the widowed mother of three partially blind after her second eye was severely affected.
While the accused denied the offence, Winam Magistrate Fatuma Rashid ruled that 43-year-old Isaac Onditi could not exonerate himself from the brutal act.
“I have considered the defence of the accused. He stated that he did not commit the offence in question. However, he confirmed that he met the victim on the day in question and that a fight ensued between them. I find the defence by the accused person a mere denial and dismiss it,” Ms Rashid said in part of her judgement.
During the trial, the court was told that Onditi was angry when Ms Janet Awino asked him for a share of Sh500 after he sold some timber from some trees in their compound at Nyalenda.
He replied that he was involved in planting the trees and she would not get a penny.
The accused later approached her in the evening as she was talking to a relative and asked what they were talking about, before striking her in the right eye with a pair of pliers on March 11, 2023.
During the trial, the prosecution called eight witnesses, including two police officers and a doctor from the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital, where Ms Awino was admitted for treatment.
The witnesses, including Ms Awino’s daughter and her neighbour at the place where she sold groceries in Nyalenda, successfully linked Onditi to the offence.
Onditi, who had denied the charges against him, however, under cross-examination by the prosecution, stated that he had met the victim on the day in question and agreed that there had been a fight between him and the complainant.
In mitigation, Onditi asked the court to consider forgiving him because he had a young family that needed him and he was a first-time offender.
“I have considered the defendant’s mitigation. I note that he is a first offender. However, I note the seriousness of the offence and the harm caused to the complainant and sentence the accused person to 10 years’ imprisonment,” she said.
