The High Court of Kenya has been urged to find self-confessed serial killer Phillip Onyancha guilty of murder, but insane.
Submitting his remarks before Justice James Wakiaga, senior assistant deputy Public Prosecutor Moses Omirera, urged the court to make the special finding and order for Onyancha to be jailed at the "pleasure of the President."
This is a situation where once a sentence has been passed on the accused who had pleaded guilty on a murder charge, often a person with mental disability, he is sentenced to detention upon an order given by the President instead of them being given a probationary sentence.
[caption caption="Phillip Onyancha in court"]
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The court was informed that Onyancha is a dangerous person but needs help, adding that if released, the accused is likely to commit similar offences, mostly targeting women.
Onyancha allegedly confessed to killing 18 women and one child but denied three other murder charges preferred against him by the Diretor of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
He was charged with three murder counts together with Tobias Nyabuhanga Aradi and Douglas Obiero Makori.
The trio, however, denied that on April 14, 2014 in Dagoretti, Nairobi, they killed 14-year-old Antony Njirwa Muiruri.
The first test on Onyancha was conducted at the time of his arrest and the report found that he was fit to stand trial.
When he appeared in court in 2010, his then lawyer, Peter Simani, informed the judge that Onyancha had a mental problem and needs to be re-examined.
[caption caption="Onyancha in jail."]
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A panel of three doctors conducted further examinations and found that Onyancha had a mental problem. They added that the results were not conclusive.
The parties then called for a third report which stated that Onyancha is dangerous and he is likely to commit the offence again.
The court will give the judgement on February 15.
