An Ikeja high court on Tuesday sentenced a 36-year-old
woman, Stella Gilbert, to death for stabbing her neighbour, Mrs Stella Godwin,
to death during a fight at their residence in Ajegunle, Lagos.
The fight was over a bench in the premises of their single
room apartments also known as ‘face’me-I-face you’.
Stella Gilbert being carried out of an Ikeja High Court
today (Tuesday) after being sentenced to death for death
The fight was caused by an argument over who should be using
the bench belonging to their former neighbour.
Justice Raliatu Adebiyi sentenced Gilbert after dismissing
her claim of self-defence.
The judge held that the prosecution proved its case beyond
reasonable doubt.
“The defendant, in this case, used a knife on the deceased; by
any standard, a knife is a lethal weapon.
“The evidence of PW2 (Prosecution Witness 2), the cousin of PW1 (the deceased’s husband),
and that of PW3, the female police officer, was that the deceased was stabbed
on the chest.
“The coroner’s report tendered in evidence by PW4 confirmed
that the deceased was stabbed on the chest.
“The chest is where the heart is; the defendant, by stabbing
the deceased on the chest, a very fragile part of the body, clearly intended to
cause the most harm to her.
“The death of the deceased occurred as a result of grievous
injury caused by the defendant. The defendant is culpable of the offence of
murder,” she said.
The judge remarked that a lot of cases in courts were caused
by animosity and violence due to individuals living in close proximity in the
metropolis.
She said that the situation called for improvement in social
housing in Lagos State.
She said: “From the evidence, the fight took place in a
room; though no evidence was given about the size of the room, it could not
have been a very large room.
“The evidence was that the deceased and the defendant lived
in a house consisting of rooms occupied by families popularly called
‘face-me-I-face-you’.
“It is worrisome that the level of violence, unnecessary
animosity and death, which occur among our citizens as a result of living
together in close proximity without sufficient personal space and boundaries,
remain unabated.
“There is clearly a need to improve social housing and
living conditions.
“The court hopes that this message will be conveyed to the
necessary authorities through prosecutors who have the responsibility to
prosecute these cases and should be able to provide vital statistics,” she
urged.
Following the conviction of the Gilbert, her counsel, Mr Y.
E. Yusuf, prayed the court to temper justice with mercy.
“The defendant has been in detention for six years; during
that time, she lost both parents and her brother. She is in her late 30s and
unmarried, she has gone through a lot.
“She was not harbouring the intent to murder when the
incident occurred.
“I want my lord to temper justice with mercy and refrain
from giving the defendant the maximum sentence,” Yusuf urged.
However, the judge passed a death sentence on Gilbert.
“The defendant, Stella Gilbert, is hereby sentenced to
death. May God that grants life have mercy on your soul,” she said.
On hearing the sentence, Gilbert collapsed on the dock.
Wailing loudly, she said, “Please ma, temper justice with mercy, why me oh,
only me…”
In her tears, she was led out of the courtroom and had to be
carried by a mobile policeman and a prison warden out of the court complex to
avoid disruption of proceedings in other courtrooms due to the commotion.
During the trial, four witnesses – the husband of the
deceased, the brother-in-law of the deceased, the investigating police officer
and the coroner – testified for the prosecution.
The defendant testified alone in her defence.
According to the state counsel, Mrs O. R. Ahmed-Muili, the
convict murdered Godwin, mother of three, on June 22, 2013, at No. 59, Ojora
St., Ajegunle, Lagos.
The convict stabbed the deceased on the chest and arm with a
knife during a fight.
It was gathered that murder contravenes Section 221 of the
Criminal Law of Lagos 2011 and is punishable with death by hanging.
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