BY ROMINAH FAKA
Court is set to deliver its sentence on a man accused of assault causing bodily harm on February 14.
Yesterday prosecution and defence made their written and oral submissions in court.
James Sugegeo was charged with one count of assault causing bodily harm and pleaded guilty to the charge.
Prosecution informed court it will rely entirely on written submissions and highlighted only the aggravating factors which are; breach of trust as the accused is the uncle of the complainant, intoxicated during the offending, complainant is a female which makes her a vulnerable person compared to the accused who is a well build person and lastly, the used of dangerous weapon, a kitchen knife accused stab the complainant with.
Defence’s mitigating factors are no pre-planning of the assault, defence argued that the incident occurred were unplanned.
Provocation is another argument defence highlighted in her submissions, arguing that the complainant was a taekwondo medalist, and she was the one who started the fight by kicking the accused which caused him to fall to the ground, and choked him with her hand.
Defence further argued that the accused tried his best to remove the complainant off him that’s when he used his small kitchen knife to cut the victim two times on her right thighs and one on her right rib.
Other mitigating factor, Sugegeo’s personal circumstances as the sole bread winner of his family, cooperate with police and already spend two months and four days in remand before being bailed out, also the complainant and accused’s family already reconciled. Defence therefore, sought court for a suspended sentence and a fine.
Facts of the case Sugegeo is the uncle of the complainant.
He lived with the victim and her mother at Red Label Area at White River.
On November 10, 2024, the complainant and her mother and father were at Red Label area, White River at a fundraising programme.
The accused was drinking Kwaso and an argument broke out between the complainant and the accused.
Jeremy Oiofa of Office of Public Prosecution act for crown and Delilah Kukura Fagani of PSO for defendant.
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