How congregant stole from church after attending Sunday service – VIDEO
A man who broke into an office at Nairobi Chapel Church along Ngong road and stole a laptop and accessories worth Sh110,000 has pleaded guilty to charges of theft.
Appearing before Senior Principal Magistrate Esther Bhoke at the Kibera Law Courts, Joseph Kamau Ndung’u admitted to the charges.
Strangely, Ndung’u broke into a container at the church and stole the said items after attending service at the church.
Mr Ndung’u stole a laptop and accessories belonging to Rodgers Koome Kinyua, a sound technician at the church. He also stole Sh200 and an umbrella that Mr Kinyua had kept in the laptop bag.
Mr Kinyua had left the items at the office while visiting another office, only to return to find the bag missing.
A security guard told Mr Kinyua that he had seen a man leave the office with a bag but he thought he was a staffer and did not therefore bother with him.
CCTV footage at the church, which were later reviewed, captured Mr Ndung’u leaving the premises with the bag.
Mr Ndung’u later sold the items, including the laptop, a pair of earphones and hard disk drives among others for Sh7000.
The court heard that Mr Ndung’u was spotted inside the church during the service on May 15, 2022 dressed in the same clothes he was wearing when he stole the items as captured on the CCTV. Police officers were called in and arrested him inside the church.
Ndung’u pleaded for leniency claiming his wife and mother solely depend on him. He said he stole the items to sell them to settle rent arrears and buy food for his family. Judge Bhoke ordered a social inquiry of the convict before sentencing him on Friday May 20.