Student handed 18-month non-custodial sentence for assaulting a teacher

A 20-year-old student has been handed an 18-month non-custodial sentence by a Nyahururu court after he was found guilty of assaulting his teacher.

Senior Resident Magistrate James Wanyanga, while making the ruling on Tuesday, also directed that the accused – Samuel Muigai Migwi – be transferred from Murichu Secondary School in Nyandarua County to another secondary school in Nakuru County.

This, according to the court, is to ensure he is not mistreated by his colleagues or teachers at the school.

Migwi was charged that on January 18 this year at Murichu Secondary School, he assaulted James Gikonyo, a teacher at the institution, causing him serious bodily harm.

The court heard that the teacher had reprimanded the student for jumping a queue as they were being served lunch when the accused turned on him with kicks and blows, thereby dealing him serious injuries to the head and mouth.

The accused also faced a second count of causing disturbance at the institution on the same date, and a further third of damaging public property namely a projector stand belonging to the school.

He pleaded guilty to the three counts when he appeared in court on January 20, 2021.

In his ruling, the Magistrate said that the court took the decision after considering the circumstance of the case.

Migwi, in mitigation, pleaded with the court to pardon him and promised to be a law abiding citizen henceforth.

He also promised to apologise to his teacher and work on his anger issues.

While considering a pre-sentence report, Magistrate Wanyanga handed him an 18-month probation for the first two counts and dismissed the third.

The court ordered that he appear in court on December 16, 2021, when a progress report on his behaviour will be presented.