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Man jailed 10 years for wife, child battering
2007-05-08 09:55:44
By Jumbe Ismailly, PST, Singida
The Resident Magistrate`s Court in Singida has sentenced to ten years` imprisonment Abdi Juma (26), a resident of Mitunduruni in the district, after it found him guilty of beating his wife, burning her thighs and breaking the legs of his own 16-month-old son.
A fully-packed court heard Magistrate Agatha Chigulu rule during judgement last Friday that the level of cruelty displayed by the convict was unbearable and thus a harsh sentence was necessary to serve as a deterrent for others with a similar inclination.
The prosecutor, Assistant Inspector of Police Philipo Mzirai, told the court that on September 18, last year at 9pm in Mang’onyi Taru Village in Singida Region, the accused inflicted serious pain on his wife, Francisca Abdi, and broke the legs of his son, Nazipha.
Mzirai told the court that the accused travelled from his village to the neighbouring one where his wife had ran to the previous month following a domestic dispute. When he arrived at the house he asked for some water to quench his thirst.
``There was no water in the house, according to the wife, and her other relatives were not around. He grabbed his wife and started beating her,`` Mzirai informed the court.
As the victim cried for help, the prosecutor explained, Abdi’s fury was directed at his son who was then sleeping, turned him over and burnt him on the head and broke his legs.
The court also heard that soon thereafter neighbours came to her rescue and put the accused under arrest.
In mitigation, Abdi asked for lenience, saying he had not intended to brutalise his family but only wanted to teach his wife a lesson.
The magistrate found him guilty and sentenced him to serve five years in jail for assaulting his wife and another five for child battery.
``You are such a brute even to your own family. You have caused serious pain and permanent deformity to your own son,`` the magistrate said before passing sentence.
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