Guard tells Mombasa court he stole bedsheets meant for the poor because he's also poor

Stephen Manguti, a security guard charged with stealing 17 bedsheets from SDA church in Mombasa, told a Mombasa the beddings were meant for the poor like him. [Standard]

A security guard manning the SDA church in Sabasaba, Mombasa County, has confessed to stealing 17 bedsheets worth Sh5,100 and blamed Satan for the act.

Stephen Manguti said he was overcome with the temptation to steal the beddings because he was poor.

Manguti told Chief Magistrate Martha Mutuku that the bedsheets had been donated to the poor and he took them because he qualified to be among the poor who were set to benefit.

"I have worked at the church for some time and l have ever stolen from the church since l fear God. However, it was only this time round that l fell for Satan's trap and took away the bedsheets for my own use," said Manguti in his mitigation.

Manguti requested the court for leniency and said that he only committed the crime, since he was aware that the bedsheets had been donated to the church to be shared out to the poor. He said that despite working as a guard at the church for many years, he had not benefited from the church donations.

"I ask you to find it in you to forgive me. l know it was wrong of me to steal. I am ashamed of what l did. However, l did it since l knew the bedsheets were meant for the poor, and as you can see, l qualify to be a poor person and l only took my share of what was meant for the poor," said Manguti.

Manguti was charged that on August 20 this year at Sabasaba SDA church he stole seventeen bedsheets valued at Sh5,100 being the property of SDA church.

The magistrate ordered the state to table a probation report before sentencing the suspect.

The matter will be mentioned on September 9 this year.