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A Magistrate Court sitting in Akure, the Ondo State capital, yesterday sentenced a 36-year-old mother of four, Mrs. Opeyemi Omoyemi, to four and half years in prison for brutalising and inflicting body injuries on her 12-year-old house help, identified as Joel Sunday.

Omoyemi, a widow, was sentenced to three and half years imprisonment with hard labour on count one charge bothering on grievous harm, while she bagged one year imprisonment on count five.

The defendant was said to have used stick and razorblade to inflict multiple injuries on the body of the house help who she accused of stealing pieces of meat from the pot of soup.

She was said to have committed the offence on February 6, 2022, at her resident located at Idimango Adewale axis of Ondo Road, Akure,.

The Prosecution Counsel, ASP. Emmanuel Tanimowo, applied for the withdrawal of count four charge which was granted by the Magistrate, Mrs. O.A. Edwin, during the trial.

On his part, the Defense Counsel, Folusho Kayode, pleaded with the court to be lenient while passing sentence since the defendant was a first time offender.

Kayode also informed the court that Omoyemi, who is a mother of four little children, had been the one responsible for the welfare of the victim.

He said: “The court should be lenient in passing sentence on the defendant. The prayer for leniency is that the defendant has been the one solely responsible for the wellbeing and education of the 12 year old Sunday. She has been doing this dutifully for the past four years since the death of her husband.

“The defendant has kids and they have been crying since the incident happened as they could not see their mother.

“The defendant is a first offender and has never been arrested for any inhuman behavior. The court should graciously pass the sentence.”

While passing the sentence, which would run concurrently, Magistrate Edwin said: “I know that the defendant is a first time offender but the facts of the offences are not only an abuse on the victim but an offence against public policy.

“The sentence must, therefore, want to deter others and also ensure that justice is done to the victim.”

Following the sentencing, the magistrate also adjourned the case to April 13, 2022, for trial in count three of the charge bothering on trafficking in persons which the defendant had pleaded not guilty.

Speaking shortly after the court proceeding, Ms. Catherine Ogunjebi, who held brief for International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), Ondo State Chapter, said: “We are grateful that justice has been served to the victim and for the society. We are also grateful for the time that the defendant did not waste. She pleaded guilty and it was faster for us to have arrived at this conclusion.

“We are equally impressed because it is not a long sentence. She will be reunited with her children in due course as we know she also has children who are now in the custody of Women Affairs at the Children Home for proper care.

“It is wrong for her to have had two children, 12 years and 10 years in her custody for the purpose of domestic help. This is against the Child Right Law of Ondo State and Child Right Act 2003 of Nigeria.”