Francistown Man Guilty Of Murdering His Girlfriend

Lebogang Mosikare | Monday March 12, 2018 18:40

 

Justice Bashi Moesi on Friday found Koobonye guilty of murdering Maria Serumola at Block 8 location on July 3, 2012.

Moesi said that according to evidence that was adduced in court during trial, it became evident that the accused and deceased’s love relationship was strained.

He said that during the day that the deceased met her untimely death, other tenants who stayed with her within the compound heard her screaming for help.

The tenants, Moesi said, then went to the deceased’s room but found it locked adding that they then called the police for help.

“When the police arrived, they found out that the door to Serumola’s room who had recently divorced was locked…The police saw what happened inside the room through a broken window. They found the deceased lying upside down on her bed. They also saw a wardrobe inside the room burning,” said Moesi.

The judge said that the accused later opened the door and when the police entered the room, they found that she was stabbed with a bread knife on her shoulder.

“The knife was embedded on her shoulder and was removed by the pathologist at the hospital… The pathologist who examined her found that she had several stab wounds all over her body. The accused was then arrested by the police after he opened the door,” said Moesi.

Moesi said that he found the accused’s version that he killed the deceased because she was cheating him with another man as untrue.

“The accused said he killed the deceased because of provocation. He said that when he came to visit the deceased, he knocked on the door several times but the deceased did not open immediately. He said that after the deceased opened the door, a man came out of the room. He said the man then threw a blanket over his face and then ran away. The accused said that when he entered the room he found used condoms which gave him the impression that the deceased and the man who ran away were having sex,” Moesi stated.

Moesi said that the accused stated that when he asked the deceased about the man and used condoms, she became defensive.

“The accused said that he then became angry and then stabbed the deceased with a knife.

On the other hand, the prosecution submitted that the accused had the intention to kill the deceased… The police said that they found no used condoms in the room after they entered the house,” said Moesi.

The court, Moesi said, finds that the version of the accused was concocted to pull wool over the court’s eyes.

“The court also finds that there were no used condoms in the room. The version by the accused that he was provoked is just a figment of his imagination. I find that the prosecution has proved its case against the accused beyond reasonable doubt. I am satisfied that the accused caused the death of the deceased with malice afterthought. I hereby convict him for murder as charged,” said Moesi.

The case was adjourned to April 25 to check if he has previous offences or not.