By Hanning Mbabazi
Masaka: Masaka High Court presided over by Judge Winfred Nabisinde has sentenced Dickson Mwebaze 30years, a resident of Nakalele village in Sembabule District, to 20yrs in prison for stealing Shs7000.
He was convicted after Court hearing that on July 13, 2016, Mwebaze and his friends still at large raided one Godfrey Kwizera and assaulted him.
Court also heard that the convict stripped Kwizera naked and dumped him in a pool of water, where he was found the next day, struggling for his life. In the process, they also took from him a sum of Shs7,000.
Mwebaze pleaded guilty to the charges and prosecution asked court to give him a deterrent sentence as a message to all persons involved in acts of robbery in which several lives have been lost.
But defense lawyer, Mr Alexander Lule told the court that the convict is remorseful for his actions.
Judge Nabisinde noted the judiciary has a duty to protect the public from people like Mwebaze, who are involved in aggravated robbery which she said warrants a long custodial sentence.
She said that 20 years’ jail term would be appropriate for the offence, not because of the value of the money stolen but because of the actions of the convict of attempting to kill the victim.
However, the convict will serve 16-years from the time of his conviction, after the deduction of the time spent of three years spent on Remand and another reduction of one year for saving courts time by pleading guilty.
