An Ikeja High Court sitting in Lagos, on Tuesday sentenced one Katungi Phillips to death for stabbing his wife, Justina James, to death for allegedly infecting him with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV).
The prosecution, Mrs O. R Ahmed-Muili told the court that Phillips committed the offence at 3.21 a.m. on July 26, 2014 at his residence at Pako House, Oniru, Lagos.
Ahmed-Muili said that the convict, who had been married to Justina for two-years, stabbed on her body with a kitchen knife after discovering that she had allegedly infected him with HIV.
She said, “After discovering that she had allegedly infected him with the virus, the deceased threatened to leave him for another man.
“He stabbed his wife with a kitchen knife during the ensuing argument and he also attempted to kill himself by stabbing himself in the abdomen with the knife.”
Consequently, the judge, Justice Raliatu Adebiyi, sentenced Phillips after finding him guilty of murder.
Adebiyi, in her judgment rejected Phillips’ defence of provocation.
The judge said that the multiple stab wounds inflicted on Justina by Phillips were excessive in comparison to the single stab wound the convict sustained.
Adebiyi said that based on the evidence before her, the defence of provocation was not plausible and that the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt.
She said, “The prosecution was able to prove by cogent circumstantial evidence that the defendant intended to kill the deceased.
“I hereby find the defendant guilty of the murder of Justina James.
“In view of the mandatory sentence for murder in Section 221 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2011,the defendant, Katungi Phillips is hereby sentenced to death, may the Lord have mercy on his soul,” Adebiyi said.
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