A butcher stunned the public Tuesday when he confessed to having stabbed his colleague to death after he refused to lend him Sh200 and buy him beer.
While admitting a charge of murder before the Embu High Court, Mr Paul Gitonga said he committed the crime on February 12.
The court heard that Mr Gitonga approached Dickson Muriuki Njue in a bar at Makengi village in Embu County and asked him to lend him the cash, promising to refund it the following day but he declined.
He then asked the deceased to buy him beer, but again he refused.
Enraged, the accused confronted the deceased and a scuffle ensued. The two men repeatedly pushed each other as they walked out of the bar.
Just few metres from the bar, Mr Gitonga drew out a knife and stabbed the deceased in the right side of neck, sending him sprawling down.
Responding to a distress call, a police officer, Corporal Samuel Maina found Muriuki lying dead on the road with stab wounds on the neck.
The body was taken to the mortuary as investigations into the murder commenced.
Later, Gitonga was arrested at his home and charged with the capital offence.
“It is true that I killed the deceased by stabbing him with a knife,” he said to the astonishment of the public that thronged the courtroom.
Further, the court heard that the blood-stained knife used to kill Muriuki was recovered from the suspect.
Justice Lucy Njuguna ordered that the accused be remanded in custody until March 23 when the case will come up for mitigation and sentencing.
In the same court, Njiru Kagio was jailed for 10 years for murder. He was found guilty of hacking Joshua Nthenge to death at Kangungi village in Mbeere area and sent to prison to start his jail term.
In mitigation, Kagio had said he was remorseful and asked the court to prefer a non-custodial sentence against him.
