Embu woman jailed for life for splashing acid on husband
A 36-year-old woman will spend the rest of her life in prison after she was convicted of splashing acid on her husband’s face by a Embu court.
According to the prosecution, the woman intended to kill him for allegedly failing to share Sh500,000 lottery that they had won.
Valencia Ruguru was convicted by Principal Magistrate Robinson Oigara after she was found guilty of attempting to murder her husband Patrick Njue.
She allegedly splashed the acid on her husband’s face on the morning of July 16, 2013 at their Kibugu home in Embu County as he slept in their bedroom.
Neighbors were attracted by Mr Njue’s distress calls and flocked the home only to find him on the floor writhing in pain. They rushed him to Kibugu Health center where he was attended to before being transferred to Embu Level 5 Hospital.
After committing the crime, Ruguru then presented herself at the Kibugu police station and reported the incident although she gave a different reason for her actions.
In her defence, Ruguru said she splashed the acid in self-defense from her husband who was assaulting her at the time.
She pleaded with the court for leniency in judgment saying she did not intend to kill her husband.
Magistrate Oigara, however, said the evidence that had been produced in court proved beyond any reasonable doubt that Ruguru’s intentions were malicious. She was given 14 days to appeal the sentence.