Court remands man for attempted rape, threat to life of corps member

A 35-year-old indigene of Kebara Nonwa Town in Tai Local Government Area of Rivers State has been remanded by a senior magistrate court in Port Harcourt for alleged attempt to kill a Batch ‘A’ corps member serving in the community.

The accused person, Mr. Father Gwezie, who introduced himself to his victim, Miss Becky (surname withheld), as ‘devil’ while the attack was going on, was also charged with attempted rape.

The charge sheet obtained by our reporter indicated that the accused person committed the crime on June 5. He reportedly attacked his victim with knife, stabbing her on the neck and all over her body.

The accused person also attempted to have unlawful carnal knowledge of the

victim by locking her in his room and tore her pant, leggings, brassier and blouse.

The charge further said that Gwezie also did unlawfully and indecently assaulted Becky by forcing his fingers into her private part, which caused her harm and thereby committed an offence.

The suspect was not, however, allowed to take plea of the charges against him after the charges were read to him for lack of jurisdiction by the court.

The defence counsel applied for the bail of the accused person, stressing that bail could be granted based on the last count and the powers given to courts to grant bail.

The prosecution led by Inspector Goodluck Adoe vehemently objected to the

bail application, stressing that the court lacks the jurisdiction to entertain the cases in all the counts except count four.

After considering the cases and arguments of both parties, the magistrate, Mrs. U.V. Erekosima, expressed her inability to try the case because of the charge brought against the suspect, and ordered that the case file be duplicated and sent to the office of the DPP for legal advice. The case was adjourned to July 30 for report of the DPP’s advice. In an interaction with Nation Evening Express, the victim said she had gone to the house of the accused person with her curriculum vitae to appeal to him to assist her get employment at the council secretariat; after he (accused person) had claimed to be an ‘honourable’ member of Tai LGA council.

via Nationwp_posts