Man slapped with seven-year jail term for stealing father's timber

A 22-year-old man in Kilifi has been sentenced to seven years in prison for stealing his father's timber worth Sh30,000.

Kombe Katore was charged at the Kilifi court with stealing timber from his father on June 21 this year, at Uyombo village in Matsangoni ward in  Kilifi North subcounty.

According to the prosecution’s statement presented before Resident Magistrate Charles Obulutsa, the accused broke into his father’s house and stole the timber at night.

His father told the court his son has been a nuisance to villagers as he has been stealing many household goods to get money to buy alcohol.

Kombe pleaded guilty to the charges but asked the court to consider handing him a custodial sentence to help him reform from stealing habits.

In his mitigation, Kombe pleaded for leniency, promising to change and abandon the habit of stealing.

The prosecution objected to his plea since he was a repeat offender and also for his own safety.

The villagers were angry with him and they might take the law into their hands if the court released him.

Obulutsa said that the jail term would serve as a deterrent and help Kombe to reform.