Tororo man jailed 29yrs for killing father over chicken

The High Court in Tororo has sentenced a man to 29 years imprisonment after he was found guilty of murdering his father in cold blood.

Silver Oketch a resident of Wikusi-Nyikisoza zone in Tororo district was convicted by the Mbale resident Judge Henry Kaweesi on his guilty plea.

He accused his father Sam Oketch of stealing his chicken and hacked him to death.

Prosecution led by James Khaukha told court that Oketch committed the offence on in July 2012 when he returned home and found his father roasting a chicken and hacked him several times with a panga before going into hiding.

He later returned to the scene claiming that he was responding to the alarm from the neighbors who discovered the old man lying dead in the compound. He was then arrested and handed over the police after a mob wanted to lynch him.

Prosecution asked court to grant the convict death sentence for the violent manner in which he murdered his father and breach of the trust as the son of the victim.

While passing his judgment, Justice Kaweesi said the convict deserved a deterrent sentence and correction being a son of the victim who breached the trust of his father.

"This matter carries a maximum of death sentence but under the sentencing guidelines the starting point is 35 years. The aggravating factors outweighed the mitigation and the convict deserves correction and deterrent sentence.

After considering the period spent on remand I therefore convict the convict to serve 29 years in prison'' Kaweesi said.

The same court handed a 27 year sentence to Wilber Hanyonyi, 52, for manslaughter.

Hanyonyi a resident of Bugago village, Buwesa in Butaleja district was found guilty of assaulting Tolofainia Hassan, 68, in a dispute over of piece of land in Doho rice scheme.

Court heard that Hanyonyi committed the offence in July 2012 when he hit the deceased several times using a club which later led to his death.

However the convict told court that he was acting in self defence when the victim attacked him.