Jowie Irungu's lawyer, on Tuesday, shocked the court during the trial of Monica Kimani's murder after he insinuated that she might have died from starvation.
According to a report by K24 TV, the lawyer, David Ayuo, made the suggestion while cross-examining an expert witness asking him whether he could ascertain that Kimani did not die from hunger.
The witness, pathologist Peter Ndegwa, had testified that the victim suffered severe damage after her throat was slit and that she also had blood oozing out of her private parts. That was when Ayuo thrust the question.
“Did you open her oesophagus to ascertain the food Monica Kimani took that day? Did you open her stomach? Could we suggest that the cause of her death was as a result of starvation?” asked the lawyer.
In his defence, the witness explained that it was not possible for a dead body to bleed adding, "There was bleeding, dead body does not bleed. She had a visibly slit throat and blood oozing from her nose."
Jowie is the key suspect in the murder of the businesswoman and has been in police custody since his arrest after the court denied him bail for the second time on June 18, 2019, ruling that his application would only be considered after the witnesses testified.
State prosecutor Catherine Mwaniki is also seeking to have the media barred from reporting details of the case with the final ruling expected to be made on Wednesday.
She argued that allowing free access to the media would jeopardize the case in which four witnesses are protected.
“Four of the witnesses are protected while five will be expert witnesses,” Mwaniki stated.
Three newspaper journalists have since been summoned to appear before Justice James Wakiaga on grounds that they breached court reporting guidelines.
