Man jailed for beating up rival in love triangle
A fight over a 17-year old girl has landed a man three-year jail term, after he pleaded guilty of assaulting another man whom he accused of eloping with his girlfriend.
Emmanuel Sidani, 23, appeared before Eldoret Senior Principal Magistrate Richard Odenyo and pleaded guilty to assault.
The court heard that on May 17,2023, at Kambi Mawe village within Turbo Sub County, willfully and unlawfully assaulted Ezekiel Aluvale, thereby accessioning him actual bodily harm contrary to section 251 of penal code.
While reading facts of the case, state prosecutor Gladys Kenei told the court the accused stormed the house of the complainant and reportedly found him having a good time with the girl in question, which angered him.
Upon noticing his girlfriend who had gone missing for days was with Mr Aluvale, he hit him with a blunt object.
The court also heard that during the incident, the accused destroyed a television set belonging to the complainant.
Mr Aluvale was critically injured was rushed to Moi Teaching and Referral hospital for treatment.
He was admitted in the hospital for two months before being discharged.
The accused was also charged with malicious damage to property of the victim.
He pleaded guilty to the charges.
However, the prosecution withdrew the charge of malicious damage terming the charge as defective.
In his mitigation, he told court he was overwhelmed with anger and jealousy upon realizing someone had eloped with a lady that he loved very much.
“I am remorseful for what I did. It was out of emotions that I did what I did, I beg this court to forgive me,” he told the court.
While delivering the sentence, the magistrate said the action of the accused was full of arrogance bearing in mind he attacked the complainant in his house hence deserved a harsh sentence to serve as a lesson to other young people with such behavior.
“This court has sentenced you to serve a jail term of three years after your own plea of guilty,” ruled Mr Odenyo.
He has 14 days to appeal the sentence.
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