Woman accused of killing son, stabbing daughter remanded for 21 days
A 26-year-old mother accused of stabbing her two-year-old son to death and seriously injuring her six-year-old daughter in a dispute with her estranged husband will be remanded in police custody for 21 days pending investigations, an Eldoret court has ruled.
A 26-year-old mother accused of stabbing her two-year-old son to death and seriously injuring her six-year-old daughter in a dispute with her estranged husband will be remanded in police custody for 21 days pending investigations, an Eldoret court has ruled.
Senior Principal Magistrate Richard Otenyo ordered that the suspect, Ms Christabel Jepkosgei, be remanded in the Eldoret Central Police Station cells for 21 days pending the outcome of police investigations.
Ms Jepkosgei had attempted suicide with the same knife she used to stab her children.
Investigating officer Corporal Edward Ndemo applied for the suspect to be remanded in custody for him to complete investigations.
He told the court that police were still recording statements from key witnesses, while the suspect was to be taken to Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) for a psychiatric evaluation to determine whether she was fit to stand trial for murder.
"We also want to take a blood sample from her and the knife she used to kill her son for forensic analysis at Government Chemist," Mr Ndemo said.
The court heard that the two-year-old boy was buried on the same day he was killed, according to Islamic tradition, his sister is still fighting for her life in intensive care at MTRH.
The court heard that Ms Jepkosgei stabbed her son in the neck with a kitchen knife and killed him at their rented house in West Indies Estate, two kilometres from Eldoret's town centre.
In response to the 21-day remand application, the suspect said: “I had no intention of harming any of my children whom I love so much, but I was forced to kill my son due to stress and depression. No one in my family cared about the problems I was facing in my marriage.”
She said she had asked her family for help, to no avail.
The court ordered her detention for the requested period.
"I direct that the suspect be detained in the cells of Eldoret Central Police Station until June 19 when the matter will be mentioned," Mr Otenyo ordered.
