Man To Clean Courtroom, Toilet For Stealing Inside Osun Mall

 

A 30-year-old man, Yusuf Kolawole, has been sentenced to three months imprisonment or community service by an Osogbo magistrate’s court for stealing a hair booster cream and oil and two tins of Titus Sardine fish from Osun Mall.

Yusuf was convicted by the court on Wednesday after pleading guilty to a count charge of stealing.

He committed the offence on March 14, 2021 at about 7:15pm at Osun Mall, Osogbo.

Police prosecutor, Inspector Rasaq Olayiwola had earlier tendered statements of the complainant and that of the convict, together with the items stolen as an exhibit.

Olayiwola told the court that the total amount of the stolen items was N2, 630.

He said the offence committed by the convict contravenes Section 390(9) of the Criminal Code, Cap 34, Vol. II, Laws of Osun State, 2002.

Defence counsel, Dr. R. O Olayiwola, pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy on the convict, saying that he was a first time offender and also remorseful of the crime.

Olayiwola prayed the court to sentence the convict to community service of cleaning the court premises instead of sending him to Correctional Centre.

However, the presiding Magistrate, Mr. Abayomi Ajala, in his ruling said: “If the convict had stolen only food items, it would have been said that hunger made him do so, but with the inclusion hair booster, it shows that it was not hunger but covetousness.”

Ajala sentenced the convict to undergo community service of cleaning the courtroom and three toilets till the satisfaction of the Registrar of the court, who will supervise him.

The magistrate said if he could not do the cleaning, the convict should serve three months jail term in Ilesa Correctional Centre.

Ajala also ordered that the stolen items should be released to the complainant after 30 days, in case the convict wants to appeal the judgment.