NKHOTAKOTA – (MaraviPost)- A 22-year old man is under police custody in the lakeshore district of Nkhotakota for allegedly murdering an old man after a failed rape attempt with the deceased’s wife.
Nkhunga Police Station deputy Public Relations Officer (PRO) Precious Makuta, identified the suspect as Jonathan Phiri and the deceased Watson Moyo aged 84.
Makuta told The Maravi Post that the suspect committed the crime in the afternoon of March 11, at Ngala in the district, after the Moyo’s wife escaped rape attempt by Phiri.
The police publicist said after the late Moyo’s wife (who was on her way to the trading centre) was rescued by passerby well-wisher. For some unknown reason Phiri eventually followed the deceased at his garden where was found cultivating.
He added that with force, Phiri took the hoe from Moyo’s and hit him on the back for several times saying Moyo fainted on the spot.
“Again well-wishers took Moyo to Ngala Health Centre before he was referred to Nkhotakota District Hospital. From there, Moyo was then transferred to Kamuzu Central Hospital. Unfortunately he later died on March 26, 2017,” police reported.
Postmortem results revealed that death was caused by cervical spine fracture following the injury he sustained on 11th March 2017 and inflicted by the suspect.
“Right now the suspect is on remand, waiting to answer a murder charge under section 209 of penal code as enquiries are still going on since he is visibly showing some signs of mental abnormalities,” Makuta said.
The deceased hailed from Kantekete village, Traditional Authority (T.A) Kanyenda in Nkhotakota while the suspect Phiri comes from Mgawa village, T.A Timbiri, Nkhatabay district.
