By Glory Abuh-Adejoh

A Wuse Zone Six Chief Magistrates’ Court, Abuja, on Monday, sentenced a 38-year-old widow, Mercy Yakubu, to one month imprisonment for attempting to steal a laptop.

The Magistrate, Mr Aminu Eri, however, gave the convict options to either pay a fine of N5,000 or sweep the court premises for two weeks.

The sentence followed the convict’s admission to the commission of the offences and apology for her actions.

The defence counsel, Mr Gadaffi Nwegbe, following the convict’s guilty plea,  urged the court to temper justice with mercy.

Nwegbe said the convict was a widow who had three children, one of whom was strapped on her back in the dock.

Earlier, the Prosecution Counsel, ASP Peter Ejike had told the court that the convict committed the offence on Jan. 28 at about 5:30pm in Maitama, Abuja.

Ejike said the complainant, Mrs Eva Kyangba of Kainji Crescent, off Lake Chad Crescent, Maitama, Abuja reported the matter at the Maitama Police Station.

According to the prosecutor, the convict, who is a resident of Mpape, Abuja, on the fateful day trespassed into the complainant’s bedroom and attempted to steal her laptop, but she was caught.

He said that during police investigation, she confessed to the crime.

The offences, Ejike said, contravened the provisions of Sections 348 and 95 of the Penal Code Law. (NAN)