A 34-year old man, Mr Abayomi Adebayo, has been sentenced to four years imprisonment without an option of fine after he blinded his neighbour, one Mr. Emeka Mbanugo, in Lagos by using bottle to pluck his eye.
According to reports, the victim may go blind completely as one of the eyes was damaged irreparably while the remaining eye was also affected in the attack.
The incident happened at 23 Global Street in Isolo, Lagos, where Adebayo broke a bottle and used part of it to damage the eye.
The convict, Adebayo was said to have returned, went in front of the house where the victim was staying and urinated in front of him. The victim, Mr. Mbanugo challenged him and he became angry. In the process, he took a bottle, broke it and used it to stab Mr. Mbanugo on the eye.
His eye fell off and he was rushed to the Isolo General Hospital where doctors confirmed that the eye had been damaged permanently which even affected the second one.
Adebayo was then arrested and charged before the Isolo Magistrates court where he pleaded not guilty.
The prosecutor, Mr. Oje Uagbale, informed the court that one of the eyes was badly damaged as such the victim will not see with the eye any longer. Ugbale urged the court that since the defendant pleaded not guilty, the court should give a date for trial.
However, after the Presiding Magistrate, Mrs. O.A. Teluwo, granted him bail he was remanded in prison pending when he will perfect his bail condition and the matter was slated for trial.
During the subsequent trial, Adebayo changed his plea from not being guilty to being guilty.
The prosecutor, Mr. Uagbale, presented the facts and asked the court to sentence him accordingly to serve as deterrent to others who might try such in future.
The court found him guilty on the two count charge and sentenced him accordingly.
P.M Express gathered that Adebayo expressed satisfaction having spent some months before he changed his plea.
The victim will remain partially blind for the rest of his life after the conclusion of the trial and judgment.