A security guard at a Seventh-day Adventist Church(SDA) in Sabasaba, Mombasa County admitted to stealing bedsheets from the church and blamed it on the devil.
Stephen Manguti old Chief Magistrate Martha Mutuku that he was overcome with the temptation to steal 17 bedsheets worth Sh5,100.
The court heard that Manguti committed the offense on August 20 this year.
In his mitigation, Manguti argued that the bedsheets had been donated to the poor and he took them because he also qualified as a poor beneficiary.
“I have worked at the church for some time and l have never stolen from the church since l fear God. However, it was only this time round that l fell for Satan’s trap and took away the bedsheets for my own use,” he told the magistrate.
The accused begged the court for leniency saying he was ashamed”.
“I ask you to find it in you to forgive me. l know it was wrong of me to steal. I am ashamed of what l did. However, l did it since l knew the bedsheets were meant for the poor, and as you can see, l qualify to be a poor person and l only took my share of what was meant for the poor,” said Manguti.
Magistrate Mutuku directed the prosecution to table a probation report before sentencing the suspect.
The matter will be mentioned on September 9.
