High Court sitting in Abeokuta, Ogun State, yesterday sentenced to death, 21-year-old David Idah, who murdered a retired 65-year-old Deputy Chief Registrar of the court, Mrs. Olufunlayo Cecilia Timeyin.

The convict had on April 7 been arraigned before an Abeokuta Chief Magistrate’s Court, on a one-count charge of unlawful killing, an offence which according to the prosecution, contravened Sections 316 and319 of the Criminal Code Laws of the state, 2006.

Justice Abiodun Akinyemi sentenced the convict who hails from Benue State and worked as a domestic staff of the late senior magistrate to death by hanging.

Idah, who worked as house help to the Timeyin household for only two months, scaled the fence of the house to attack the former chief magistrate with a machete.

The alarm raised by one of the sons of the late senior magistrate, Olamide, who had earlier knocked on the gates and heard the desperate cries of her mum, attracted some residents who immediately alerted the men of the Ogun State Vigilance Service (VSO).

One of the VSO men, Mr. Oluseye Fasina, attached to Operation Two, Laderin Unit, told our correspondent that he immediately ran to the back of the house where he met David who had pulled off his clothes inside the bush and arrested him.

Idah was said to have stolen household items, including jewellery, electronics and GSM handsets.

He was allegedly caught while trying to sell off the phones and was handed over to the police by GSM phone dealers at Oke-Ilewo, Abeokuta.

The late chief magistrate was said to have pleaded with the police to release the house help and warned him against coming to her house again.

Upon his release, Idah having worked in the house, came back and hacked the late woman to death.