A routine plea hearing at a Nakuru court on Monday turned dramatic as the robbery suspect, Simon Sigei, refused to alight from the police vehicle that had ferried him to the hearing, thereby forcing Magistrate Faith Munyi to hold the court session from the police vehicle.
Mr Sigei stood accused of the murdering Peter Bore and his daughter Judy Chepkoir following an alleged armed robbery incident on February 12, 2019, in Boror area, Rongai sub-county.
The suspect was also accused of raping the late Bore's other daughters aged 9 and twelve, while in the company of unidentified men armed with rungus, machetes and a hammer, before making away with a mobile phone, the victim's identity card and Ksh 68,000 in cash.
However, Mr Sigei turned mute from the moment he was arrested and booked at the Menengai Police Station on April 23, 2019, and has reportedly not uttered a single word since.
Lead investigator, Daniel Gichuki, revealed to the court that the suspect had also refused to eat, adding that they had to carry him from the police cells into their vehicle on their way to court.
"The suspect has not responded to any of our questions or any conversation, all he has been doing is just sleeping," officer Gichuki disclosed.
Principle Magistrate Munyi then decided to take her court session to the police vehicle, from where she ordered the postponement of the plea hearing to May 6, 2019
"The accused is to be remanded at the Nakuru GK Prison pending the plea and bond terms application," she ruled.
Going on to order the presence of the deputy registrar of the High Court at the next hearing as detailed in section 280 of the Criminal Procedure Code which empowers an officer of the court to plead on behalf of an accused person who was unresponsive or mute when queried on which plea they wished to enter.
The magistrate also ordered that the accused be taken for mental evaluation at the Rift Valley Provisional General Hospital prior to the second hearing.
