A 35-year-old man has been jailed for 10-years by a Murang’a court after he was found guilty of attempting to defile a 13-year-old girl.

Senior Resident Magistrate Eric Analo found Henry Wang’ombe guilty of attempting to defile the grade seven pupil on December 1, 2024, in Kigongo area of Murang’a East Sub County as he had been charged.

In her testimony, the girl told the court, on the material day, she had gone to collect books from her friend’s home and as she walked back home, she met with the accused. She said she knew him well as he was a carpenter and a parent at her school.

The accused, she added, promised to get fruits for her at one of the fruit trees in his home compound.

Upon reaching the accused’s home compound, the girl reflected that Wang’ombe entered his house and after a while she felt a sudden hold on her mouth from behind and when she quickly turned, she noticed it was the accused who then dragged her into his house and shut the door.

The girl further stated Wang’ombe forcefully removed part of her clothes in the process of attempting to defile her but she resisted. Upon her resistance, she said the accused left the room to pick a knife and luckily, she managed to escape through the window half naked.

 “The wooden window was not closed and as he went to get a knife, I managed to jump out through the window. I was half naked and I left some of my clothes and shoes in the house,” she testified.

When she arrived home, the girl narrated the ordeal to her brother and uncle. “As I was narrating what happened to my elder brother and my uncle, Wang’ombe appeared riding a motorcycle.

He denied but after he was confronted, he led my brother and uncle to his house where my clothes and shoes were found,” she added.

In his defence, Wang’ombe claimed he was framed, alleging that the girl had demanded money from him and after he declined, she threatened to deal with him.  He further claimed that he had differences with the girl’s brother, alleging he had vowed to have him jailed.

According to probation report presented before the court, Wang’ombe was described as a person of questionable character, previously suspected of theft.

While opposing a non-custodial sentence, local administrators stated that the village had remained peaceful when the convict was away but incidents of lawlessness started being recorded when he started residing there.

The magistrate ruled that the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt, describing Wang’ombe’s actions as deliberate and deeply traumatising to the young victim. Analo noted that the prosecution’s evidence was consistent and credible, particularly the recovery of the victim’s items in the accused’s house.

“Based on the evidence presented in this court, I hereby sentence you to 10 years imprisonment so as to set a firm example to the society and discourage similar behaviour,” ruled the magistrate.

• A Tell Media / KNA report / By Bernard Munyao and Magdalene Wainaina