by Rachel Ogbu
30-year-old Mary John, a housemaid in Lagos has received a 28 year jail sentence for stealing her mistress’ jewellery estimated at N35m.
John was said to have slumped after receiving the verdict, but was quickly resuscitated and carried out by prison warders.
In her defense, John said she was hypnotised by strangers she had met on the road and they made her lead them to her boss’s residence in Ajah as they broke through the burglar proof door to steal the items in July last year.
She also said they took her to an herbalist’s house and was told to keep it a secret else she dies.
But the magistrate, Aje Afunwa in her ruling said the defendant had changed her story from what was in her written statement where she actually confessed to the crime.
“In her evidence, she confessed to breaking the door, climbing the house and stealing the jewellery,” she said.
“I choose to believe more the defendant’s written statement than her oral evidence which is an attempt to shift the blame to another person. I believe her oral statement is a figment of her imagination.
“More so, hypnotism or superstition is a phenomenon which is not admissible in law.”
The Punch reports:
According to reports, the convict had been arraigned since September 2012 on four counts of conspiracy, entry, breaking and stealing.
Her mistress, Mrs. Esohe Kadiri, a lawyer, said she stole wristwatches valued at N9m, bangles and bracelets worth N10m, diamond set worth N8m, rings worth N3m, chains and pendants worth N5m, and a camera priced at N100, 000, which all totalled N35, 100,000.
Kadiri, in her evidence before the court said John took advantage of her travel outside the country to perpetrate the theft.
She said she was alerted to the crime by her sister, and after challenging John on phone, she suddenly became incommunicado.
Together with three other witnesses- Kelvin Ikeagwe, Francis Ugbem and Inspector Patrick Onu- 34 exhibits were tendered to nail the accused.
Afunwa said John did not show any remorse or regret for her action and hence deserved full punishment for her action.
She said, “I strongly believe that the defendant stole the items by herself with the help of another person who is at large.
“In view of the rampancy of such a crime where house helps, clerks and servants engage in the stealing of the property of their employer, this honourable court will not be lenient with the accused to serve as a deterrent to others.
“I therefore find the defendant guilty on the four counts of conspiracy, breaking, felony and stealing. She is to serve a prison term of seven years on each count, with hard labour, and the terms are to run concurrently for a maximum of seven years.
“And probably while serving her jail term, she would have a change of heart and probably confess as to where the jewellery is.”
Bcos of 35m ,,, dat judge is an idiot, bundle of rubbish, biG FOOL ppl even if the money is 100m , as young as dat future leader of 9ja U̶̲̥̅̊ jst send her go jail, na thunder go strike U̶̲̥̅̊ & U̶̲̥̅̊r family the judge & the owner of dat so called jeweris what about PATRICIA ETEH who stole 628m ,faruk, alice madueke €4m what happen to them? All of U̶̲̥̅̊ will die by accident !!!
she will actually serve seven years. read the latter part of the new. Seven years for each crime which are to run CONCURRENTLY… Stealing is stealing. N35m no be joke oh
Our judiciary is helping at all in fighting corruption. Olabode George was sentenced to two years, Maina we’ve not heard any severe punishment meted out to these people but look at someone who stole jewelry worth of N35 million sentenced to 28 years imprisonment.
What I am saying is that everybody should be treated equally without this you (judiciary) is not doing anything.
The truth is that these people that hypnotise are real and very much around in our society, I have close people it has happened to and they were hynotised and made to steal things from family members before they come to themselves again>>>> “maybe” this young woman rili does not know anything about this incident, just a victim of circumstances
all in the name of jewelry????…thats just too harsh!!!!…may God Almighty the master who judges known except in the afterlife punish this judge and her offsprings this life and hereafter
Sentencing a young woman like that to so many years jail coz of jewelleries is just too harsh, justice should have been rendered with a lil touch of mercy.