Househelp convicted for ring theft
By Print Reporter, August 13, 2024A 28-year-old house-help has been convicted by a Nairobi court for stealing a gold ring worth Sh683,000 from an Australian-based nurse.
Violet Ndukwe Lijodi was convicted by Milimani Principal Magistrate Rose Ndobi after pleading guilty to the charge of stealing.
She admitted that she stole the ring from Norah Mitchell Were, a Kenyan nurse based in Australia and sold it to a second-hand item seller Francis Mwima at Kawangware in Nairobi at Sh4,000 to foot medical bills for her ailing father who is admitted in hospital.
The prosecution told the court that she committed the offence on diverse dates between August 3 and 8.
Norah was on holiday and was staying with her relative at Runda Estate Nairobi.
Valuable jewel
“Your honour l beg for forgiveness from this court and Mama Norah from whom l stole the ring. I did not know it was a valuable jewel to her. I confessed to her that it was I who opened her bag and stole it,” Ndukwe confessed as she sobbed uncontrollably.
She further told the court that she later sold the ring at Sh4000 to a Kawangware-based second-hand items seller.
Prayed for leniency
The accused who was arrested on August 8 prayed for leniency.
Her co-accused, Mwima, 35 however denied the charge and was released on a Sh1million bond.
Ndukwe urged the magistrate to forgive her as she has an ailing father and three children to take care of.
“l did not know the worth of the ring until l was told,” she stated.
The magistrate remanded her in custody until September 5, pending a pre-sentence report when she will deliver the sentence.