Elderly man jailed for a year for stealing doctor's laptop

(Photo: Courtesy)

A man was sentenced on Tuesday to a year in jail after a court found him guilty of stealing a laptop.

Yahya Abdul feigned illness to access a doctor's lounge at Al Farouk Hospital in Majengo, where he stole Yusuf Issack's laptop worth Sh27,000, according the prosecutor.

Mr Abdul, who pleaded guilty, said he was in dire need of cash.

“It's true that I stole the laptop but I beg the court to forgive me. It is my first time. Think of me and my age when passing the sentence. I wanted money to feed myself,” said Abdul, who is a grandfather.

State prosecutor Eric Masila said CCTV footage from the hospital showed Abdul walking into the doctor’s lounge, which wasn’t locked, and picking the laptop before leaving the premises immediately.

Senior Resident Magistrate Martin Rabera said from the start, Abdul’s intentions were not good when he visited Al Farouk Hospital.