Father jailed for 15 years for beating nine year old son to death
A 31-year-old man has been sentenced to 15 years in prison by Kitale court after he was found guilty of killing his nine-year-old son while disciplining him.
Fred Wekesa Wanyonyi alias Makoti was accused of murdering his son, David Wafula, on January 25, 2015 at his home in Chebarus village within Trans Nzoia County.
Judge Hillary Chemitei, while issuing the judgment, found that the accused guilty of the offence and that the prosecution had proven its case beyond reasonable doubt.
“The death of the deceased was caused by the cruelty of the accused who was his father,” said Justice Chemitei.
“This court equally takes into consideration the probation report which clearly indicates that the accused had a bad history. Therefore, he is hereby been sentenced to serve 15 years in prison,” he ruled.
In mitigation, the accused admitted of committing the offense but said he was just disciplining the child as a parent without knowing it would result into the boy’s death. He pleaded for leniency saying he was remorseful and that he will be careful in the future.
However, Mr Lex Gimnyigei, a probation officer, said the accused was known to terrorize village and his family, trait that forced his wife to run away.
PUNCHES AND KICKS
He further told the court that on the material day, the accused was seen by a neighbour assaulting the child with punches and kicks.
Efforts by the accused to save his son’s life by carrying him on his back to a nearby hospital were fruitless since the child died on the way.
While the medical report indicated that the child died of inter-cranial bleeding, the accused had claimed that the child had been hit by a motorcycle.
Mr Gimnyigei, added that from the area chief’s report, the accused was a bhang smoker and an alcoholic.
“The area chief had handled several cases about him and that when he committed current offense, he was rescued from irate members of the public who wanted to lynch him,” he explained to the court.
He told the court that the accused’s parent were more than happy that their son was in jail since he was a thorn in the flesh to the family.
In his ruling, the judge said, the court had taken into consideration the accused’s 3-year stay in custody and that the same shall be set off against the sentence of 15 years.