Nairobi News

A victim of Gender Based Violence whose husband has been found guilty of attempted murder by an Eldoret court wants the accused jailed for life.

Through state counsel, the victim told the court that the incident had left her paralyzed after she was attacked with a machete by the accused who chopped her head among other cuts inflicted on her body.

The accused had told court he’d reconciled with his wife and was remorseful of what happened.

But she disagreed, claiming she did not want anything to do with the accused who almost killed her.

“What I want is justice, this man has permanently ruined my life, I cannot do any work to earn a living, he is lying to this court that we have talked about, let the court jail him for life as the prosecution has proposed,” the woman told the court when asked her opinion based on mitigations of the accused.

The accused, Godrfrey Keter Kipkoech was charged and convicted of the offence of attempted murder contrary to section 220 of the penal code.

While presenting the submission, state counsel Patricia Kirui told the court that the appropriate sentence that the accused deserved was life.

“In sentencing we are asking for an appropriate sentence of life imprisonment as provided for by the law,” stated Ms Kirui.

Ms Kirui told the court that criminal law seeks to restore order, decency, and social equilibrium in society aimed at reducing to the minimum grave incidents of anti-social.

The court heard that the victim was maimed and she is yet to recover from injuries suffered.

The prosecution told the court that it was by the grace of God that the victim survived.

“Looking at the medical documents it is just by the grace of God the victim survived the injuries. The accused’s action deserves to be punished and should not be condoned,” the prosecutor told the court through her written submission.

According to the prosecution, the offence by the offender was no doubt a gender-based violence offence where the offender used his power to control the feeble innocent woman.

In the case, Geoffrey Keter Kipkoech is said to have committed the offence of attempted murder.

The charge sheet states that on April 20, 2020 at Chebisaas boys’ high school in Moiben Sub County, the accused attempted to intentionally cause the death of Margret Jelangat who was his wife by severely cutting her on the head and the hands.

He denied the charge when he was first presented in court three years ago and he was released on Sh30,000 cash bail.

Eldoret Principal Magistrate Peter Areri will deliver his ruling on the matter on November 21 (today) after the accused presented his submission orally.

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