The High Court in Kampala has jailed a police officer 50 years after being convicted of murdering a nine-year-old girl.
Inspector of Police Emmanuel Abura, 44, strangled Patience Namawejje.
Court heard Abura was sharing a house with the deceased’s uncle Cpl Joel Mwonda in Nalya Housing Estate from where the two families developed irreconcilable misunderstandings and persistent grudges stemming mainly from the latter’s chicken, disconnecting water and putting a garbage container in front of his house.
The said misunderstandings were also brought to the attention of the police administration.
The court was also told during the hearing that during one of these bitter quarrels, the deceased used a phone to record proceedings in which IP Abura was heard threatening to injure CPL Mwonda and his family members something which didn’t go well with a convict.
On the fateful day of November 6, 2021, at about 5.30 pm, the deceased’s mother Lydia Takali left her at home and went to the shop where she spent 30 minutes.
She came back and found the door locked and called for the accused but there was no answer.
That Takali then asked IP Abura’s children to help her access the home using their house and on opening the house, she saw the body of her 9-year-old girl hanging.
She made an alarm which attracted her neighbours and LCs.
However, police investigations concluded that given the height of the lane yard, there was no way a nine-year-old girl could have climbed up to commit suicide.
Residents then pointed a finger at IP Abura as the murderer hence his arrest and prosecution.
After the testimony of 7 witnesses, IP Abura was found guilty of the murder of Patience Namwanjje.
While sentencing Abura, Justice Mutonyi noted that he is a disgrace and an embarrassment to the police force which is trained to protect lives, an animal in human skin who launched an attack on an innocent child and uses his disability to attract sympathy.
The judge said that since his disability did not prevent him from committing a heinous crime, he is a danger to people who come in contact with him especially young children to whom the court owes a duty to protect.
“The convict has not exhibited any remorse, he had more consideration for himself and his family. He uses his disability as a tool to attract sympathy.”
“Disability didn’t stop him from committing the crime. The convict who is a Police officer at the rank of IP killed an innocent young child in a very notorious manner. Much as he was walking with a clutch, he had a duty to protect the young girl but instead resorted to killing her.”
The judge sentenced the police officer to 50 years and on this, she deducted six months he had spent on remand to ensure the sentence remains at 49 years and 4 months in prison.
The convict was told he had a right to appeal