Rapist Gets Life Sentence In Ondo |The Source

By Ayodele Oni, Akure

A High Court in Ondo state has sentenced a tricycle driver, Blessing Kingsley, to life imprisonment for raping a 14 year old girl and infecting her with Hepatitis B.

Justice Bode Adegbehingbe  sitting in Akure High Court, who delivered the judgement after two years trial, said the weight of evidence proved without doubt that Kingsley was guilty of the one count charge of rape.

According to the prosection, Stella Adegoke, a state counsel, the offence was committed on July12 2018, when the 14 year old victim, on her way home from her grandmother’s shop in ondo town, was accosted by the convict, a family friend, who offered to take her home.

But rather than take her home, Kingsley drove her to his house under the pretence of making her greet his family, and forcefully had sex with her.

“A report was immediately made at the Funmbi Fagun police station, while a medical examination confirmed she was raped and even infected with Hepatitis B.

“Kingsley was arrested and arraigned before Justice Bode Adegbehingbe of an Ondo state high court on a one count charge of rape,  punishable under section 358 of the criminal laws of Ondo state 2006.”

The suspect, represented by a Counsel from Legal Aid Council, Toyin Asake, was the only witness for himself, while the prosecution called four witnesses, Sergeant Olanrewaju Agbelusi who arrested Kingsley, a photographer a medical doctor, and the victim.

The prosecution also presented before the court as exhibit, the victim’s blood soaked underwears, photographs of the scene showing blood stained mattress, and her  medical report after the incident among others.

The Judge, in his judgement, said Kingsley gave weak and pitiable evidence. The Judge also said that the accused  criminally exploited his familarity with the victim, despite claiming not to know her before the incident.

He said the weight of evidence by the  principal witness  is substantial to convict Kingsley just as the prosection also proved the case beyond reasonable doubt.

Justice Adegbehingbe, therefore, convicted Kingsley on a count charge of rape and sentenced him to life imprisonment.