Caption: Kitui Principal Magistrate Johnston Munguti committed Kioko Muli Syanda to the noncustodial sentence after he pleaded guilty to the criminal charges.
A man convicted of stealing two cell phones worth Sh19,000 has been sentenced to two years of community service at the Deputy County Commissioner’s office.
Kitui Principal Magistrate Johnston Munguti committed Kioko Muli Syanda to the noncustodial sentence after he pleaded guilty to the criminal charges.
He also admitted to an alternative charge of handling the stolen phones, a Samsung and an X-tigi, which were found in his possession.
“You are hereby sentenced to community service at the office of Deputy County Commissioner for a period of two years. You will report there on a daily basis and work without pay until the sentence ends.
“Be warned that you will be committed to a jail term if you intentionally flout conditions of the sentence,” said the magistrate while delivering the verdict.
The court heard that Mr Syanda reportedly stole the gadgets after the complainant, Samuel Mwanzia, left them charging at his house in Kwa Vonza trading centre within Lower Yatta Sub-County on December 10, last year.
The accused was later in the day arrested at the same market following a tip-off from members of public who had spotted him roaming around the complainant’s residence at the time of theft.
The arresting officers recovered the phones upon frisking the suspect and put him into custody before theft charges were preferred against him, said the prosecutor as he presented facts of the case to court.
In mitigation, the defendant pleaded with the court for leniency saying that he is a father of three and the sole breadwinner of his family.
He was allowed 14 days to file an appeal to the High Court if dissatisfied with the sentence.