Ibanda Grade One magistrate’s court has sentenced a father of 6 to three days of community service after he pleaded guilty to stealing a bunch of bananas from a neighbour’s plantation.

Benon Mujuni, of Kakatsi Bisheshe Division, stole the bananas on January 17 from Hope Tumubwine’s plantation and was arrested by residents who mounted a house-to-house search the following day and found him with the bananas. While appearing in court presided over by Grade One magistrate Esther Murungi yesterday, Mujuni admitted having committed the crime.

Grade One magistrate Murungi convicted and sentenced him, he will serve six hours on each of the three days of his community service sentence. Murungi also ordered him to apologise to Tumubwine, warning him that he would be arrested and imprisoned for a year if he missed a single day of his sentence.

The convict had spent 21 days on remand at Nyabuhikye Prison prior to his sentencing. Mujuni had earlier requested court to give him a lenient sentence, saying he was forced to steal to feed his six children and his ailing 96-year-old father.