Court gavel./FILEA Kisumu man has been sentenced to 12 years in prison after he was convicted of the manslaughter of his wife of 18 years.
High Court Judge Joe Omido sentenced Jared Otieno Otieno for manslaughter contrary to Section 202 as read with Section 205 of the Penal Code.
Otieno had initially been charged with murder contrary to Section 203 as read with Section 204 of the Penal Code, Cap 63 Laws of Kenya.
The court heard that between November 9 and 10, 2022, at Nyalenya village, Muhoroni Sub-County in Kisumu County, Otieno murdered Caroline Aoko Onyango.
During the judgment, Justice Omido said the prosecution, led by Prosecution Counsel Mercy Mutheu Muema, had proved beyond reasonable doubt that Onyango died from blunt force trauma to the head after an unlawful assault by Otieno, causing injuries that led to her death.
The court, however, found that Otieno did not act maliciously.
In presenting the aggravating circumstances, Muema told the court that Onyango was a young woman whose four children had been psychologically affected and were living in distress following the loss of their mother.
She faulted Otieno for failing to protect his family and said Onyango’s death resulted from gender-based violence meted out by her spouse.
Muema urged the court to impose a custodial sentence.
"Having considered the aggravating and mitigating circumstances in their totality, I find the aggravating circumstances outweigh the mitigating circumstances to an extent that it makes a custodial sentence necessary," Justice Omido said.
The judge subsequently sentenced Otieno to 12 years in prison for manslaughter.
The sentence will run from November 23, 2022, the date Otieno was first remanded in custody.
Otieno was granted 14 days within which to appeal.
