A 38-year-old pleads to killing wife over a love text message!
-Joseph Kibet Rotich was charged with the murder of Mercy Chesang on
August 13, 2008-
Joseph Kibet Rotich38 in Eldoret Court where he was slapped with five year in jail in connection with the murder of his estranged wife Mercy Chesang.
A 38-year-old primary school dropout who pleaded to killing his
estranged wife was on Friday slapped with a five year jail term by an
Eldoret high Court.
Joseph Kibet Rotich was charged with the murder of Mercy Chesang on
August 13, 2008 in Ngenyalen village in Turbo sub county, Uasin Gishu
County.
Justice Reuben Nyakundi, while handing over the jail term, turned down
the accused person’s request to be given a non-custodial sentence owing
to the fact that he had already reconciled with the family of his late
wife.
The accused in his impact statement told the court that the family of
the deceased prefers that he be put on probation arguing that the two
families had reconciled and made peace.
While expressing his remorse for causing the death of his wife of
three children, Rotich pleaded with the Judge to reduce the charge to
manslaughter owing to the circumstances that led him to commit the
crime.
The accused who looked withdrawn in the dock, further told the Judge
that he was the sole breadwinner for his three children who were still
minors and that they depend on him
“Your leadership I pray for a non-custodial sentence since my family
and that of my late wife have since reconciled and even paid four cows
to my late wife’s family as a sign of good faith, “he told Justice
Nyakundi in his mitigation.
The Judge heard that the accused killed his wife inside their house
following a text message he noticed in her phone on the fateful night
between the deceased and another man.
Angered by the love text message, the accused person is said to have
woken up his wife from their bedroom and asked her to explain to him
who that man who was sending her the message was.
The court further heard that the deceased refused to divulge to him
the anonymous man who was sending love messages to her, something that
angered her husband who picked a stick and started to beat her as she
cried for help.
She continued to beat her in wee hours of the night until she
succumbed to the injuries,
The accused then rushed to his parents’ house to inform them what had
transpired between him and his wife.
When his parents arrived in his house they were shocked to find the
lifeless body of their son’s wife lying on the floor.
On learning that his wife was dead, the accused tried to run away but
was apprehended by neighbors who had already been alerted about the
murder incident.
He was then escorted by the neighbors to Turbo police station until
the following day when he was transferred to Eldoret central police
station and murder charge preferred against him.
However, State Counsel Mark Mugun informed the court that Rotich was a
first offender and urged the Judge to also consider the circumstances
of the case and period the suspect had spent when handing down the
sentence.
Justice Nyakundi said that even though the accused person has been
cooperative throughout the trial of the case, the crime he committed
could not allow him to give a custodial sentence.
“I will not hand you a custodial sentence as requested because of the
nature of the crime you committed which is murder. You are supposed to
be a protector of your wife and children but instead you turn into a
killer to your spouse,”said Justice Nyakundi.
He added: Because of your children, I will sentence you to a period of
five years instead of putting you in jail for life over the brutal
killing of your wife,”ruled Justice Nyakundi.
About Author
