Man 40, gets 2 years jail term for stealing goat

A Pankshin Magistrates’ Court in Plateau, on Wednesday, sentenced a 40-year-old man to two years imprisonment  for stealing his neighbour’s goat valued N40, 000.

The convict, Lavwet Kelap of Tal district, stole the goat  belonging to one Buler Nengwer, but he was  arrested in a market at Mikang Local Government, where he sold it for N20, 000.

The Police Prosecutor, Insp Hosea Selbut, told the court that the complainant, Nengwer, had on May 29,  reported the case  at the Panshin  Police Station.

According the prosecutor, the offence of theft is contrary to and  punishable under Section 287 of the Penal Code. When the  First Information Report (FIR) charge was read to the defendant, he pleaded guilty to the offence and begged for leniency.

Selbut told the court that the  defendant committed the offence, with the excuse that his son was sick and that he could could not afford the hospital bill. “I stole the goat and sold it for N20, 000 at Mikang Market, so that I could settle the hospital bill of my ailing son’’.

The prosecutor implored the court to try the defendant summarily in accordance with the law. Magistrate Luther Caleb, convicted the defendant to two years imprisonment with an option of N5, 000 fine. He, however, ordered the defendant to pay a compensation of N33, 000 for the stolen goat to the nominal complainant.