Drama in court as drunk man is jailed 5 years for setting his own house ablaze

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In a rather bizarre case, a Murang’a man has been sentenced to five years in jail after he was convicted of setting his own house ablaze.

Robert Karuinge Mwangi had earlier been sentenced to ten years in jail for burning his matrimonial house, before Murang’a High Court Judge Kanyi Kimondo reduced the sentence by half.

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The incident occurred on March 23, 2016, where the suspect admitted to burning the 3-bedroom house in which he lived with his family and children in Gitathi Village, Kangema.

The judge took into account the convict’s request for leniency, adding that the fact that he was drunk and also lost his money and property in the house was reason enough.

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“Karuinge was drunk and he has no previous records. I think the sentence of 10 years was too harsh in the circumstances. I sentence him to five years in prison which will take effect from July 18, 2016, the date of original conviction,” Justice Kimondo ruled according to the Standard.

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The complainant in the case was his wife Rahab Njeri but Karuinge successfully convinced the court to take into account his good record, having not been convicted before.

His appeal had been rejected by the prosecution side, arguing that the initial ruling was lenient in the first place. 

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