A Lagos State High Court sitting at TBS, Lagos Island has sentenced a 32-year-old man, Saheed Sanni to eighteen years imprisonment after his conviction for murder.
Sanni was convicted after he pleaded guilty to one count charge of involuntary manslaughter levelled against him by the State government.
Sanni was said to have stabbed one Jide Felix with a broken bottle on the neck in the night on December 18, 2015 at LUTH junction, Agege Motor Road, Mushin.
He was charged to court and earlier pleaded not guilty when he was fist arraigned on January 18, 2021.
The defendant thereafter approached the prosecution, applied for plea bargain to change his plea.
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Subsequently at the resumption the prosecution counsel, Mr Olayemi Shofolu informed the court that the prosecution have amended charge and has filed plea bargain agreement before the court.
The trial Justice Adesanya asked of his awareness of amended charge as well his voluntariness of plea bargain. He answer in affirmative and sober manner.
The defendant who was weeping before the court was therefore re-arraigned on the amended charge of involuntary manslaughter dated October 4, 2021.
His offence contrary to section 227 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State 2011.
Following his guiilty plea, his counsel, Mrs K.F Balogun in her allocutus, plead for mercy. She told court that defendant had since regretted his action.
According to her, ” My lord, we are praying the court to temper justice with mercy. The defendant has since regretted his action, he is remorseful knowing the gravity of the offence.
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” We sympathised with the family of the deceased. The defendant is a young man that have a life time ahead of him. He has lost his wife, father and mother while he was in prison.
“Defendant is 32 years old. He considered plea bargain for restoring his life after serving the prison term. What the defendant did was youthful exuberance.”
The trial judge however sentenced the convict to 18 years imprisonment from date he was remanded.
The court queried the defendant that, “You don’t behave senselessly. What were you thinking when you stab somebody in the neck with a broken bottle ?
She said she considered the gravity of the offence committed by the defendant as well as the allocutus.
The judge held that the court was not bound by the plea bargain agreement. ” In the view of guilty plea, I hereby sentenced you Saheed Sanni to eighteen years imprisonment.”
