Gambler who stole phone at a casino jailed for four months

A counselling psychologist who stole a mobile phone at a casino after gambling and losing Sh10,000 has been sentenced to a jail term of four...

A counselling psychologist who stole a mobile phone at a casino after gambling and losing Sh10,000 has been sentenced to a jail term of four months or an alternative fine of Sh50,000. This after the accused, Mark Justin Kamau, pleaded guilty before the Kibera Law Court to charges of stealing a phone worth Sh35,000 from Jackline Kalekye at Eastlands Casino within Kilimani in Nairobi on June 3, 2022. Ms Kalekye and her colleagues at a restaurant that houses the casino had placed their phones inside a tray at the counter before proceeding for their duties as they are not allowed to use phones while working. At 4pm when she went to collect the phone she found it missing. She reported the matter to the hotel’s management prompting them to reviewing the CCTV footage which had captured the accused randomly picking one phone while leaving other phones. Mr Kamau was traced and found gambling at another casino within the area. He told the police that he used the phone as security for a Sh6000 loan from a friend in downtown Nairobi, which he also gambled. While appearing Resident Magistrate Jackline Ojwang, the accused said he has been helping gambling addicts quit the vice through counselling while he remained hooked to it, adding that he stole the phone out of desperation.