Man jailed one year for stealing phone

Kakamega Senior Principal Magistrate Zachariah Nyakundi sentenced Clinton Minishi to one-year imprisonment for stealing a Tecno phone worth Sh12,700 at the Malinya shopping centre.

During the sentencing on May 24, Magistrate Nyakundi noted that Minishi pleaded guilty to the charges.

"The accused has been sentenced to his plea of guilty to serve one-year imprisonment. The offence is rampant in the society and he has to learn his lessons the hard way so that he can be an example to others," he said.

Prosecutor Catherine Onyango told the court that the complainant and his friends were on a motorbike and had stopped by a market when the accused snatched the phone.

"The complainant was on a motorbike with his friends and after he dropped at the market, the accused snatched his phone and ran away," Onyango explained.

She said the complainant recognised the accused as the incident happened in broad daylight.

"He saw the accused, who was in the company of four men, snatch his phone and take off. He tried to scream for help but in vain and reported the matter to the police," she said. 

Onyango told the court that the police later searched the accused’s home and recovered the stolen phone.

"The police ransacked his home and recovered the stolen phone which is before the court," she said.

In mitigation, Minishi pleaded for leniency, saying he was a first-time offender.

"I am a first offender, I plead for leniency of the court. I will never repeat such an offence," he said.

Court documents state that on May 14, 2024, at Malinya Shopping Centre in Kakamega County, Minishi stole a Tecno Pop 7 phone from George Lichoti, valued at Sh12,700.