Woman jailed for killing husband over UGX 10,000

Gulu, Uganda |  THE INDEPENDENT  |  A 26-year-old woman was on Wednesday evening sentenced to 28 years and eleven months in jail for murdering her husband over 10,000 shillings.

Mercy Layet, a resident of Okwici Village, Angara Parish, Akwang Sub –County in Kitgum District was convicted and sentenced for murdering Patrick Ocan aged 24 who was a senior two student by the time of his death.

Court heard that Layet stabbed Ocan to death with a knife on the night of December 17th, 2017 from their home after Ocan returned from a drinking joint and was demanding for his 10,000 shillings that she had borrowed earlier on.

According to Prosecution led by Patrick Omiya, the accused person on committing the offense contrary to section 188 and 189 of the Penal Code Act, ran and reported herself to her relatives in Kitgum, leading to her arrest and that when police visited the crime scene, they recovered the blood stained knife she used for stabbing the deceased, hidden on the corner of their hut.

In his judgement from Gulu High Court, Justice Stephen Mubiru, the former Gulu High Court Judge and the current Judge of the Commercial Court in Kampala said the maximum punishment for murder if death but that a lighter alternative can be imposed if the accused is a first offender who shows a possibility of reforming.

According to Justice Mubiru, because of many factors of mitigation in Layet’s case which include her youthfulness and the fact that she is an orphan, he reduced her sentence to 32 years in jail. He said after deducting the 3 years and one month she spent on remand, Layet would be left with 28 years and 11 months in jail.

He added that Layet has the right to appeal against both the conviction and sentence within a period of 14 days.

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