File image of a judge's gavel. PHOTO|COURTESY

A Kisumu man has been sentenced to 12 years in prison after being convicted of the manslaughter of his wife of 18 years.

According to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Jared Otieno Otieno was sentenced by Kisumu High Court Judge Joe Omido after being found guilty of the offence.

The court heard that Otieno killed Caroline Aoko Onyango between diverse dates on November 9 and 10, 2022, at Nyalenya village in Muhoroni Sub-County, Kisumu County.

During sentencing, Justice Omido found that the prosecution had proved beyond reasonable doubt that Aoko died from blunt force trauma to the head following an assault by Otieno.

The judge, however, found that Otieno had not acted maliciously, leading to the conviction for manslaughter rather than murder.

Prosecution Counsel Mercy Mutheu Muema urged the court to impose a custodial sentence, citing the impact of the death on the couple's four children.

Muema told the court that the children had been psychologically affected and were living in distress following the death of their mother.

She also argued that the deceased died as a result of gender-based violence perpetrated by her spouse and faulted Otieno for failing to protect his family.

“Having considered the aggravating and mitigating circumstances in their totality, I find the aggravating circumstances outweigh the mitigating circumstances to an extent that it makes a custodial sentence necessary,” Justice Omido said.

The court consequently sentenced Otieno to 12 years' imprisonment. The sentence will run from November 23, 2022, the date Otieno was first remanded in custody.

The convict was granted 14 days within which to appeal the sentence.