Migori woman gets 5 years in jail for stepping on another lady with high heels

A woman will spend five years in jail for attacking another one who unintentionally trod on her foot.

Sofia Mwita had only her fury to blame after she lost an appeal in which she challenged the sentence handed by a magistrate's court. Ms Mwita had been found guilty of assaulting another woman who stepped on her foot. The two were part of a crowd that had gathered at the scene of a motorbike accident when the assault happened.

In his verdict, High Court judge Antony Charo noted that the attack was unprovoked. He said the victim had apologised but Mwita went on to beat her up at the scene and later went after her twice.

"I do not find any justification for interfering with the sentence imposed. I further note that the three distinct attacks were unwarranted, uncalled for, gravely inhuman and totally unprovoked, that led to serious and permanent disfigurement," Justice Charo ruled.

Accident scene

The attack happened at the accident scene on the evening of July 4, 2014, when a man fell off a motorbike at Mabera trading centre in Migori County.

During the pushing and shoving from a crowd that wanted to see what had happened, the woman stepped on Mwita's foot without noticing, only to be held by the throat from the back.

Mwita threatened to beat her up but she apologised.

As the woman tried to free herself from Mwita's hands, the accused's phone fell to the ground. The victim offered to pick it up and give it to her and this time, Mwita grabbed her by the waist and began wrestling her.

The two were separated and victim taken home.

"The appellant was therefore rightly charged with the offence of causing grievous harm," the judge found.

But the encounter did not end there. Mwita is said to have followed the woman to her shop and this time, hit her with a torch after insulting her.

The court noted a scar that was inflicted on the woman's head following the blows she received from Mwita.

The accused continued her onslaught and eventually ended up biting her victim's right cheek. The court noted that the woman's cheek bled profusely from the bite.

In defence, Mwita said her accuser had provoked her by slapping her, prompting her to retaliate.