Teenager admits killing uncle after a scuffle

An 18-year-old boy has admitted that he killed his uncle two years ago following a quarrel.

He was initially charged with murder which was, upon a plea bargain agreement between the DPP and the boy’s lawyer, reduced to manslaughter.

The boy confessed to killing Hesbon Abonyi on the night of July 20, 2017 at their Kakamega Central home in Lurambi.

Abonyi is said to have picked a quarrel with the boy when he came home drunk on the fateful day at 8pm.

The victim was not happy after the teenager flashed a torch at him and threatened to beat him up.

“The boy ran to his grandparents’ house but the uncle pursued him there. A confrontation ensued which degenerated into a fight. The accused picked a piece of wood and hit the uncle on the head. He died on the spot,” said prosecutor Samson Ng’etich.

High Court judge Jesse Njagi heard that the teenager was initially charged with murder on September 26, 2017, a charge he denied.

A postmortem report filed in court showed Abonyi died due to blunt force trauma.

Justice Njagi convicted the accused on his own plea of guilty to the charge of manslaughter.

In mitigation, the teenager said he was remorseful and had been remanded since the time he committed the crime.

Through lawyer Victor Asango, the boy asked for a non-custodial sentence.

“The accused was a minor by the time the incident happened. The act was in self defence from an adult who had attacked him. He did not have any intention to kill. He is remorseful and thus we pray for leniency,” said Mr Asango.

He also said the boy is a student whose education should not be curtailed for the offence he committed without malice.

The boy will remain in custody until a report from probation officers is presented to court on March 13.