Lagos couple sentenced to 16 years in prison for maidservant’s death OLASMEDIA TV NEWSThis is what we have for you today:
A Lagos State Supreme Court on Thursday, July 7, sentenced a married couple, Fortune and Steve Nwankwo, to 16 years in prison for the involuntary manslaughter of their 19-year-old maid, Joy Adole.
Both were charged with killing Adole on April 20, 18, Ogundola St., Bariga, Lagos.
However, they denied the claim, claiming that Adole committed suicide by hanging herself in her bedroom.
Justice Oyindamola Ogala found the couple guilty of conspiracy and manslaughter.
While prosecuting suit No. ID/13178C/20, Justice Ogala ruled that the prosecution charged with manslaughter, conspiracy and attempted perverse justice and misconduct in relation to the death of their maidservant at their home in Bariga, state Lagos, had proved.
The court convicted Stephen on the charges of conspiracy, attempted perverse justice, misconduct and complicity after the crime.
The judge ruled that the court was satisfied that the testimony of the prosecution witnesses was not only strong, but also confirmed the fact that the maid died as a result of the beating by Fortune (first defendant).
“The first defendant beat the deceased who caused her death because she was not feeling well before the incident.
“The defendants did not inform or call the family of the deceased from 5 a.m. when they learned that she had died until noon when the second defendant called the deceased’s sister and asked her full name and other personal information to give them to enable balm hair in the morgue.
“The second defendant, finding out that the first defendant had killed the deceased by beating, assisted her in disrupting the course of justice by hanging the body with a rope.
“There were three adults in the house: the defendants and the maid. The defendants were the last two adults to come into contact with the maid before her death.
“The hanging was staged, the deceased was hung from a rope and the position police found her body did not show suicide as her feet were on the ground,” she said.
Ogala also argued that the defendants tampered with evidence when they embalmed the body, making it difficult for the toxicologist to perform an autopsy.
The judge then sentenced Fortune to 14 years in prison, while Steve received two years in prison.
