A Kenyan court docket has sentenced two males to 35 years every for the homicide of Ugandan athlete Benjamin Kiplagat late final yr.
The Olympic athlete was stabbed to demise on New Year’s Eve within the city of Eldoret, often known as a coaching middle for athletes.
“Your actions have been merciless to a defenseless individual whose life you took,” Judge Reuben Nyakundi informed Peter Ushuru Khalumi and David Ekai Lokere in the course of the sentencing listening to on the Eldoret High Court.
Kiplagat’s homicide shocked the individuals of Kenya, which has seen the killing of quite a few different elite athletes lately.
The choose stated Khalumi and Lokere had adopted Kiplagat, who was in his automobile, after which CCTV footage confirmed that they had deliberately killed him in a premeditated act. The actual motive for the homicide was not clear however on the time of the arrest the police stated it was a theft.
In an emotional plea to the court docket on Monday, the athlete’s mom had requested Judge Nyakundi at hand down life sentences.
He spoke about how his son, who started his profession operating barefoot, labored onerous to grow to be a world runner and the household’s breadwinner, the Nation newspaper studies.
“My son had 8,000 (Kenyan) shillings (US$62; £48) and an costly cell phone, however the killers took none of his property. Their mission was to complete him painfully,” the newspaper stated.
Although they didn’t settle for the household’s request for a life sentence, they stated they have been glad with the end result and that justice had been carried out.
Kiplagat, who was 34 when he died, reached the ultimate of the three,000 meters steeplechase on the 2008 Beijing Olympics. He additionally competed within the subsequent two Games and is the Ugandan file holder on the occasion.
