Judges educate 'prodigal' son on value of obeying parents

Anthony Kariuki Mathia a.k.a Mcknight appeared at Supreme court today on 6/October/2016.He says he wants nothing to do with his parents over alleged torture.There was allegation that he was demanding Sh20 million. PHOTO BY EDWARD KIPLIMO.

A man who had sued his parents has lost the case after the Court of Appeal found that he had not given evidence for it to force them to apologise. Anthony Kariuki Maithia Mcknight (pictured) had moved to the Court and declared that he wanted nothing to do with his biological parents until they apologised for ‘torturing’ him.

But in their ruling, Court of Appeal Judges - Asike Makhandia, William Ouko and Kathurima M’noti - dismissed Anthony’s case with a few lessons on importance of obeying your parents. They ruled that the 32-year old ought to mend his relationship with his parents.

“Courts have resolved more or less on a daily basis family disputes involving children and their parents but none had unique features like this one,” the 14-page judgment read in part. “We are ourselves reminded of few lessons on parenting and parent-child relationship.”

Unbecoming behaviour

During the hearing of his appeal, Anthony told a three-judge bench he even doubted if the two are his parents and asked the court to order a DNA test to ascertain the truth. Anthony was at first demanding that his father and mother should pay him Sh21 million as damages but later dropped the prayer.

In their ruling, the judges used references like William Shakespeare’s playwright Henry IV. In the play, the king had a strained relationship with his eldest son Prince Henry who had been nicknamed Prince Hal or Harry for his unbecoming behaviour.

Hal, also known as Prince of Wales ought to be heir but his conduct was not of a child raised in royalty; spending most of the time in taverns on the seedy side of London, partying with vagabonds and criminals.

The king wished that Prince Hal was not his son and many a times disowned him. King Henry felt that Hal was switched at birthplace, a similar feeling to that of Kariuki who told judges he suspected that he was given away by the nurses to the wrong father and mother.

Luckily, Hal, the Judges pointed out, had a turn around and became King Henry V.

“It is a story and a lesson that strict parenting methods may produce undesired results, of how parent’s expectations may have an influence on a child and how a child can transform and achieve his goals alone without relying on others,” the judges told Anthony.

The judges also referred to the Good Book in their judgment referring to the story of the prodigal son. They also quoted Ephesians 6:4 which challenges parents not to anger their children, but to bring them up in the ways of God.

In the case, Anthony complained that his parents beat him up to an extent of fracturing his skull; that he was subjected to excessive domestic chores, denied a chance to proceed with further education after completing his University degree, was denied money to start a business and forced to live in a slum.

But his father told judges that he educated his son to the university and got him a job at a church besides paying his house rent until he was 30. Judges were told that they (parents) would often times send him money for upkeep.

The judges noted that the evidence given to the court pointed out to a pampered child and not one who was living with parents from hell.

“From his own acknowledgement, he has been receiving support from his parents even as an adult and we do not see how the appellant can blame the respondents.”

Just like Hal, they asked him to reconcile with his parents. Anthony had first filed the case in the High Court but lost prompting him to move to the higher court.