Housewife sentenced to death for neighbour over bench

A Lagos State High Court in Ikeja on Tuesday sentenced a housewife, Stella Gilbert, to death for killing her neighbour, Stella Godwin, over a bench.

The inciddnt happened on June 22, 2013, on Ojora Street in the Ajegunle area of Lagos.

The duo were said to have fought for a bench left behind by a neighbour who moved out of their residence.

It was gathered that Gilbert was upset that Godwin gave the bench to a visitor to sit without taking permission from her.

This was said to have led to an argument, as the convict stabbed Godwin with a kitchen knife in the chest and arm, killing her.

Delivering her judgment, Justice Raliat Adebiyi noted that a knife was a lethal weapon.

According to her, some of the prosecution witnesses gave evidence that Godwin was stabbed in the chest, adding that the coroner’s report tendered as exhibit also corroborated their claims.

She said, “The chest is where the heart is; the defendant, by stabbing the victim in the chest, a very fragile part of the body, clearly intended to cause the most harm to her.

“The death of the victim occurred as a result of the grievous injuries caused by the defendant. The defendant is guilty of the offence of murder.

“From the evidence given, the fight took place in a room. Though no evidence was given of the size of the room, it could not have been a large room and 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 worrying that the level of violence, unnecessary animosity and death which occurs among our citizens as a result of living together in close proximity without sufficient personal space and boundaries remain unabated. There is clearly the need to improve social housing and living conditions.

“The court hopes that this message will be conveyed to the necessary authorities through the prosecutors who have the responsibility to prosecute these cases and should be able to provide vital statistics.

“The defendant is hereby sentenced to death by hanging. May the Lord have mercy on your soul.”