An elderly man charged with stealing and slaughtering his neighbour’s ram in Marigat was on Tuesday arraigned before a Kabarnet court where he admitted committing the offence.
Jackson Sauroki alias Sonko who appeared before Senior Resident Magistrate Vienna Amboko was charged with killing an animal with intent to steal contrary to section 289 of the penal code.
He committed the offence on July 8, 2022 around 1pm at Ilchamus Sub-location within Eldume Location in Baringo county, where he killed a white ram valued at Sh5, 000, the property of Nicholas Dickson Saningo.
A statement of facts by the prosecution indicated that on the material day information was delivered by a woman to village elders that a person was suspiciously selling meat in a green sack within Eldume area.
The court was told the villagers upon receiving the information immediately sought out the accused in order to establish the source of the delicacy and within a short time they got hold of him.
Villagers, the court heard, frog matched the accused to the assistant chief who after interrogating him had the accused lead them to a bush where he had slaughtered the animal.
The court heard that Sauroki had dug a hole where he had buried a white sack which contained the animal’s skin, intestines, head and hoofs.
“The skin upon being identified was discovered to be that of a sheep that belonged to Dickson Saningo who confirmed that one of his sheep was missing. The assistant chief contacted officers based in Marigat police station leading to his arrest,” stated the statement.
In mitigation, the elderly accused begged for leniency, arguing that it was drought season and that he was finding it difficult to get food especially after facing challenges having been involved in a road accident which claimed the life of his wife.
Sauroki further pleaded with the magistrate to pardon him averring he has never been involved in any criminal act before and that he has five children who solely depended on him to provide given they have no mother to take care of them in case he is jailed.
The magistrate ordered that the accused be remanded until August 2 when the court will rule on his sentence.
