Lamu man handed 20 years for chopping off neighbour’s fingers
The accused says she wants to be identified as a woman.
What you need to know:
- Omar Yakub Athman committed the offence on April 29, 2019 in Tchundwa Village, contrary to section 234 of the Penal Code.
- Lamu Principal Magistrate Allan Temba said the accused person had been found guilty as charged.
A man has been jailed for 20 years by a Lamu law court after being found guilty of a violent attack.
Omar Yakub Athman was convicted of causing grievous harm, including chopping off the four fingers of the left hand of Mr Athman Omar Athman in Tchundwa Village in Lamu East.
Yakub committed the offence on April 29, 2019 in Tchundwa Village, contrary to section 234 of the Penal Code.
He had earlier denied the charge before Lamu Principal Magistrate Allan Temba, prompting the Director of Public Prosecutions, through prosecution counsel Eddie Kadede and Zacharia Kiongo, to call witnesses.
The court heard that on that day, the victim had gone to assist a friend identified as Hamza to collect stones at the latter’s compound in Tchundwa Village.
While they were collecting the stones, they saw a male donkey running into the compound pursuing a female donkey. The two donkeys entered Hamza's house before running out in the same manner they came.
Fingers chopped off
The accused came a short while later and asked the victim for a donkey saddle. The victim replied that he had not seen the said donkey saddle.
This is what infuriated the accused person, who wondered aloud what the victim's intention was. Seeing the rage of the accused person, the victim told him to do as he wished since he had nothing to do with a donkey saddle.
The accused person went away and returned with a panga and, without uttering a word, aimed at the victim's head. The victim shielded his head using the left hand, causing his four fingers to be chopped off.
The accused, however, gave chase and slashed the victim on the left pelvis area. The victim only got a reprieve after he ran into a neighbour’s house from where he was rushed to hospital. He later reported the matter to police.
Delivering judgment, Lamu Principal Magistrate Allan Temba said the accused person had been found guilty as charged and convicted him under section 215 of the Criminal Procedure Code.
Yakub has a 14-day right of appeal against the judgment and conviction.
