I thought he was a robber, man tells court on why he assaulted police officer

A man accused of assaulting a police officer on Tuesday pleaded not guilty before a Nairobi court claiming he thought the constable was a robber.

The court heard that Daniel Malaki Otieno – on August 10, 2019 at Nairobi Hebrew Synagogue on Uhuru Highway – unlawfully assaulted Police Constable (PC) Harisson Karisa Kazungu.

The suspect faced a second count of malicious damage of property where he was accused of damaging a certificate of appointment belonging to PC Dennis Okumu.

In his defense, Mr. Otieno said the police officer (PC Kazungu) was in plain clothes at the time hence he thought he was being robbed and resorted to defending himself.

He added that he only later came to discover that the claimant worked with the National Police Service when he was arrested and taken to the police station.

The accused, through his lawyer, prayed for leniency in granting bond terms alleging that the claimant was in the process of withdrawing the matter from court.

Milimani Law Courts Magistrate Martha Mutuku released him on a cash bail of Ksh.100,000 or an alternative bond of Ksh.200,000.

The case is set for pre-trial directions on August 27, 2019.