Defence lawyers in the murder trial in which Joseph Irungu and Jackie Maribe are accused of murdering businesswoman Monica Kimani have suggested she could have died due to starvation.
This happened at the start of a trial where the two took fresh pleas before High Court Justice James Wakiaga after the prosecution had amended Irungu’s name to include the alias Harun.
Initially, the charge sheet only had Joseph Irungu, alias, Jowie.
Once again, the two denied killing Monica in her apartment at Lamuria Gardens on September 19, 2018. Irungu’s lawyer Hassan Nandwa argued that since a postmortem carried out on Monica’s body result did not record whether or not there was food in her stomach; it is possible that he could have died of starvation.
Nandwa went further to allege that the cut found of Monica’s neck could have been caused after her death.“Did you open her esophagus to ascertain the food Monica took that day? Did you open her stomach? Could we suggest that the cause of her death was because there was no food in the stomach?” the lawyer questions the pathologist.
In his response to the defence lawyer, a pathologist who carried out an autopsy on Monica’s body informed court that it is not possible for a dead body to bleed.“There was bleeding, dead body does not bleed. She had a visibly slit throat and blood oozing from her nose,” he said.A pathologist, Dr. Peter Ndegwa conducted a postmortem on Monica’s body in September 24, 2018 at around 4.30pm at Chiromo mortuary.
He said Monica died as a result of an incisive wound caused by a sharp object used correctly.On her body, Monica also had bruises going around her wrist. Both her wrists were tied using sealing straps.
“The body belonged to a 28year old, in a wet, blood stained maroon and white bed cover. She was dressed in a blue and green free flowing dress,” he said.
Appearing before High Court Justice James Wakiaga, the prosecution led by Catherine Mwaniki opened the hearing by informing the court who Monica was, a matter that frazzled the courtroom.
