• Arunga admitted to an Australian court of misleading police in order to help her husband escape punishment.
• Her three-year-old son died as a result of blunt force trauma to his abdomen in June 2014.
Image: COURTESY
Former Kenyan TV presenter Esther Arunga was yesterday sentenced to 10 months parole for her role in the death of her son.
Her three-year-old son, Sinclair Timberlake, died as a result of blunt force trauma to his abdomen in June 2014.
Arunga on Monday admitted to an Australian court of misleading the police in order to help her husband, Quincy Timberlake, escape punishment.
Australian judge Martin Burns read his verdict against the once high-flying journalist and lawyer who also wanted to try her hand in politics in 2010.
Judge Burns' ruling, as quoted by the Australian Associated Press, said that he was sympathetic to Arunga's situation when she spoke to the police investigating her son's death.
"You must be taken to have been in shock at the death of your son, at the times when you were interviewed and further to be grieving at your loss," Burns said.
Arunga was immediately released on parole.
Kenyans on Twitter were sympathetic with Arunga and called for the Australian authorities to repatriate her.
Twitter user Walter Mang'ana said, "She should come back home after her jail sentence. The media fraternity should accord her all the support she may need to get back on her feet- if she decides to come back. She was such a role model to so many."
Tom Ondik said, "Come home our girl."
Chrome Ssiende tweeted, "Now, come back home after 10 months please, we need you on our screens. Come back home."
"May Esther Arunga rise again. She has been to hell and back. May God restore whatever the devil has stolen from her. She will rise again!"JK Ngigi said.
Robert Ongilo called upon Kenyans to unite and bring Arunga home.
"This girl needs everyone's love to rebuild her life. Let us rise as Kenyans reach her by whatever means, invite her home."
But what does the parole ruling now mean for the former popular anchor?
Kenyan Lawyer Robert Mugo in a phone interview with the Star defined parole as a way of letting approved prisoners serve part of their sentence in the community.
"The offenders are supervised in the community until the end of their sentence," he said.
Arunga will be supervised by the Queensland Corrective Services until the end of her 10-month parole.
She must stay in contact with the probation and parole staff by reporting to an office or having officers visit her home or workplace.
She has to comply with rules set by the correctional service of Australia and is expected to refrain from any crime during the period.
In case she changes jobs or house locations, she should inform the correctional services unit of her decision within 48 hours.
Arunga must also abstain from drugs and alcohol for the 10 months.
"She will be receiving constant visits from the correctional service unit who will perform drug tests on her," the Justice Australian parole authority report reads.
Arunga will not be allowed to leave Queensland, the Australian capital city, without permission from the authorities.
During her parole, she will be expected to attend courses, programmes, meetings and counselling offered by the Australian Corrective Services.
At the end of her sentence, officers from the Probation and Parole department of Queensland Corrective Services will carry out surveillance to check whether her risk level is appropriate.
They will also check whether her physical appearance has changed, how she communicates with others, her home stability and relationships.
The officers can also contact her family or friends to find out how she is behaving.
If Arunga breaches the parole orders, the conditions may be changed or her parole order may be suspended or cancelled and she will be returned to prison.
Edited by R.Wamochie