An Abeokuta Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday sentenced a 21-year-old man, Ashonila Victor, to eight months Community Service for assaulting a staff of Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC).
Victor, who resides at Iporo Asalu Community Idi-Aba area in Abeokuta pleaded not guilty to the charge.
The Magistrate, Mr Olakunleyin Oke sentenced Victor after he was found guilty of a count charge of assault.
Oke held that the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubts that the convict was guilty of the offence.
He noted that the rate of assault on IBDC officials was becoming rampant, saying that he would have sentenced the defendant to the correctional centre as his punishment.
Oke said that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the convict would not be sentenced to the correctional centre but be giving community service
He then sentenced the accused to eight months of community service and to also pay N30,000 as compensation to the IBEDC staff assaulted.
Earlier, the Prosecution Counsel, Inspector Olu-Balogun Lawrence, told the court that the defendant committed the offence on January 2, at Iporo Asalu Community of Abeokuta.
Lawrence said that the defendant punched Craig Damilola, a staff of the IBEDC, on his face and mouth, causing him bodily injuries.
He said that the complainant had gone to the house of the defendant to investigate allegations that the defendant by-passed his prepaid metre.
He said while the IBEDC staff was trying to disconnect the light, the defendant attacked the complainant with blows to his face and mouth and also released dogs on them.
The offence, he said, contravened the provisions of Section 355 of the criminal code laws of Ogun 2006. (NAN)