A househelp has been convicted for the theft of a gold ring valued at $5,300 (Sh683,000) from an Australian nurse visiting Nairobi.
Violet Ndukwe Lijoodi, 28, pleaded guilty in a Milimani court on Monday to stealing the precious item from Norah Mitchell Were, who was on holiday at Runda Estate between August 3 and 8, 2024.
Lijoodi, visibly distressed, asked for leniency from Magistrate Rose Ndobi, explaining that she had sold the ring for a mere Sh4,000 at Kawangware market.
“Your Honour, I beg for forgiveness from this court and Mama Norah, from whom I stole the ring. I did not know it was a valuable jewel to her,” Lijoodi said.
She confessed to opening Were’s bag and taking the ring, which she sold to a second-hand dealer before going on her off days.
The prosecution detailed that Lijoodi was arrested on August 8, 2024, and charged alongside 35-year-old Francis Mwima, who has denied the charges and was granted a bond of Sh1 million.
During the court proceedings, Lijoodi tearfully explained that she sold the ring to cover her father’s medical bills and to support her three children.
“I did not know the worth of the ring until I was told,” she said, urging for understanding due to her challenging personal circumstances.
Magistrate Ndobi ordered a pre-sentence report and has remanded Lijoodi until September 5, 2024, pending sentencing.
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