Blessing Edet, 27, who was arraigned before an Ikeja Special Offences Court for killing her 33-year-old fiance, Edet Ebong during a fight that ensued following her refusal to wear an engagement ring he gave her, has been handed a 10 year jail sentence.
New Telegraph reported that Edet was convicted on a commuted sentence of involuntary manslaughter by Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo, for the offence committed around 12:15 am on August 18, 2015 at her apartment in Lekki area of Lagos state.
Giving her account of the incident in court on February 7, the defendant said the deceased wanted her to cook for him by midnight but she refused because she was tired.
“Upon hearing that I was tired, he went into the kitchen and saw the engagement ring he had given me beside the stove. He became angry and asked why I was not wearing the ring.
“He broke a mirror and used part of it to stab me, I was bleeding and I was crying out to the neighbors for help,” she said.
Edet said she stabbed Ebong in the abdomen with a kitchen knife during the fight.
Delivering her judgement, Justice Taiwo said:
“By stabbing the deceased in the lower part of his abdomen, she did not intend to cause grievous harm to the defendant. The defendant has established factors necessary to prove self-defence.
“I find that the defendant acted in self-defence as she was a victim of unprovoked assault. The defendant is not guilty of murder but I find her guilty of the involuntary manslaughter of Edet Ebong.
“Section 227 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State prescribes life imprisonment for the offence of involuntary manslaughter. This is a clear case of recklessness on the part of both the deceased and the defendant.
“I hereby sentence the defendant to 10 years imprisonment with no option of fine. The sentence will take effect from the month of August 2015 which is when she has been in custody.”