MURDER CASE
Episode 4
Paul Adeyemi stood inside the dock, a bible was brought since he was a christain and he took an oath placing his hand on the bible.
I, paul Adeyemi do swear that the evidence i shall give shall be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. So help me God.
Barrister Briggs walked up to the witness.
“how are you doing Mr.paul?” he asked him.
“Am fine thank you” paul replied.
“oh, i can see you are really fine. So i was told you were the one who alerted the police and paramedics about the incident at the house of Mr. Jacobs. As a first hand witness, what really happened?” he asked.
“I was going to my house that faithful day, and i decided to branch jacobs house. When i got there, i saw him pointing a gun at his wife but before i could make any move he shot her” paul explained.
“And what evidence do you have of this claim” barrister briggs asked.
“A picture. I took a snapshot of jacobs pointing a gun at his wife” he replied.
Barrister Briggs turned and walked back to his table while still talking.
“At this juncture, i’ll like to present my first evidence” he brought out a picture. Exhibit1 was bodly written at the back. In this photo, jacobs can be seen pointing a gun at his wife.
He passed the picture to the court administrator who passed it to the judge. The picture was enhanced using a projector for the whole court to see. Barrister Briggs then turned and faced paul.
“Do you know of any reason why Mr. Jacobs could kill his wife?” he asked.
“He is a lost Man, he lost his job while his wife still has hers, thats why he is transferring his anger to the wife” paul answered.
“Thank you mr. Paul, you have been very helpfull” Barrister Briggs said,he turned to the judge
“i rest my case”he said and walked to his seat.
The judge turned to Barrister clement
“would you like to cross-examine the witness?”
“Yes my lord” he said and stood up.
Mr.paul can you please tell the court the kind of relationship you have with the jacobs family?
“objection my lord, the question is irrelevant to this case” Barrister briggs shouted.
“objection overuled” the judge came to the rescue.
Go on barrister.
“So, Mr. Paul, whats your relationship with the jacobs”.
“I’m a family friend and am very close to the couple” he replied.
“Any proof? Perhaps group pictures, or text messages. Do you even even have their phone number?”.
Paul thought of his next answer before answering.
“No”
“Good, so it has been established that you are not so close to the family, so what took you to their house at about past 10 in the night?”
“like i said, i was passing and i decided to check on them” paul replied.
“Okay, so correct me if am wrong. You went into the house, you saw Jacobs pointing a gun at his wife and instead of saving her you decided to snap pictures?” Barrister clement asked.
“i needed the pictures for evidence” paul replied.
“Evidence? So you planned on uploading it on facebook? There was laughter in the court and when they were finally brought to Order, Barrister clement continued. Forgive me Mr. Paul, but i just want to know, do you have any personal vendetta against Mr. Jacobs?
“No” paul answered.
Barrister clement went to his bag and brought out a white paper. He showed paul.
“Is this your signature” he asked.
“looks like it but signatures can be forged” paul answered.
“Dont worry about that. Few years back you asked for the deceased hands in marriage but she refused and you threatened her that if you do not get her then nobody else will. This is the statement she wrote in the police station. It only took the intervention of your boss in the army for you to sign” Barrister clement passed the paper to the court administrator. He then faced the judge
“i rest my case” he said and went back to his seat.
Even Justice okoro was impressed. He faced Barrister Briggs
“any other witness”.
“yes, my lord, i would like to question the accused” Barrister Briggs said.
“Mr. Jacobs, i would like you to give me straight forward answers to this my few questions and please be audible” Barrister Briggs advised.
“Did you kill your wife?”
Jacobs was shocked. He had expected barrister Briggs to start from the light questions but he just went straight to the point.
“Answer the question young man, did you kill your wife?” Barrister Briggs was getting emotional.
“No” Jacobs replies.
“Did you point a gun at your wife? I mean a loaded gun”.
“No”
The court was shocked, less than five minutes ago they saw a picture of him pointing a gun at his wife but here he was denying the fact.
“Are you saying that picture was photo-shopped?” Barrister Briggs asked. Do you know the reppercusion if you lie to this court?”
“Objection my lord, he is pressing my clent to admit to a crime he didn’t commit” Barrister clement shouted
“Objection overuled, you may proceed barrister” justice Okoro shouted.
“So you are saying the picture was photo-shopped”
“No, am saying the gun i pointed at my wife wasn’t loaded, it was empty. Infact, as a vigilante, we always submit our bullets to our commander. We only collect the bullets in times of emergency”
“so you are saying, you didn’t kill your wife, who killed her then? Barrister Briggs asked.
Jacobs took a deap breathe and then spoke.
“Paul Adeyemi”
To be continued
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