June 24, (THEWILL) – High Court of Justice sitting in Makurdi, Benue state, has sentenced a 40-year-old man, Mr David Ukor, of Adikpo street, behind NUJ House to three years imprisonment for raping a 35-year-old woman around the vicinity sometime ago.
The presiding Judge, Justice Wilfred Kpochi, who did not grant an option of fine to him, in addition, ordered him to pay a fine of N10,000 or serve another jail term of five years in default of payment.
On the second count charge of causing grievous hurt without provocation, the convict is to pay a fine of N5,000 or serve a jail term of two years imprisonment.
The trial Judge, who said he has to temper justice with mercy because the convict was a first offender, ordered that the sentence should run concurrently.
Justice Kpochi stated that, the State, represented by Senior State Counsel, Barr T.E.Ekpe, who called four witnesses including the victim, who is a widow, have proved its case beyond reasonable doubt to warrant conviction.
According to the judge, the convict, David Ukor, who testified himself and called two witnesses in defence, showed that they were only lying, as he was the person that raped the woman on that fateful day.
Prosecution had informed the court that on 28th November, at about 9:00 pm, while the victim was sleeping in her room, the convict came in and had a forced intercourse, without her consent.
The convict while weeping in the court room was led out to the Makurdi Minimum Correctional Centre by the police to serve his jail term.
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