Boy who pushed grandmother to death over porridge flour jailed for 10 years

A 22-year-old mechanic from Rarieda in Siaya County has been jailed for 10 years after he pleaded guilty to causing the death of his 82-year-old grandmother.

The grandmother had told him that there was nothing to eat in the house since his father never provided anything.

Maxton Omondi Otieno pleaded guilty to the charge of the offence of manslaughter after unintentionally killing Jael Akuru Orundu at her house at about 6:30 pm on February 8.

It was last year December when the convict was introduced to his father’s parents and relatives. He started living with his grandmother and on the fateful day, he had returned home and asked for food but she had none.

He asked for flour to make porridge but the grandmother replied his father had not been providing her with food. In a rage, he pulled her from her bed and she unfortunately hit the floor.

The grandmother struggled to defend herself using a walking stick to hit Maxton but he overpowered her. She fell to the ground again and became unconscious. The accused fled to his cousin’s house where he slept.

The following morning, the deceased was found lying in a pool of blood dead, which led to his arrest.  An autopsy carried out revealed the cause of death to be severe internal bleeding.

In his mitigation, Maxton pleaded for leniency, saying he did not intent to take his grandmother’s life. 

In a judgement delivered on March 31 by Siaya High Court Judge R.E. Aburili handed the accused a 10 year jail.

“I have considered the facts and mitigation. The Probation Officer filed a Prebail assessment report indicating that the convict, who lost his mother at the age of three, was living with the maternal relatives and that his father had been absent from his life emotionally and physically and so his introverted personality.

“Further, at the time of the incident he was on industrial attachment as a mechanic. His paternal family are bitter with him and are ready to revenge by eliminating him should they see him in their midst. He is not fit for non-custodial sentences.

“I exercise discretion and sentence the accused person to a prison term of ten (10) years imprisonment and should learn life’s skills and be rehabilitated to adapt to live with other people in the society,” Judge Aburili ruled.