West was arrested on September 20 for the murder and attempted murder of young ladies in hotels in Port Harcourt.
Testifying before the court, Mr Chigboo Ebeke, Manager of a hotel located at Location Road in Oyigbo local government area, where Linda Samuel was killed, told the court that on 6th September at about 4:pm David Gracious West came to the hotel, ordered for a drink at the bar and introduced himself to the Director of the hotel as a Military Officer from 6 Division of the Nigerian Army, Bori Camp, Port Harcourt.
Ebeke further testified that David Gracious West later booked room number 313 at the reception with a different name, Kachi Tom Jonah.
He said that while Gracious West continued drinking at the bar, he noticed Linda Samuel at the bar, beckoned on her, they got talking and at about 10 pm he took her to his room.
Ebeke said that the corpse of Linda was discovered the next day, 7th September, at noontime when the hotel Potter tried severally to clean the room and noticed that it was locked.
He added that the lady’s hands, legs were tied and her neck tied with a white handkerchief.
He told the court that the matter was immediately reported to the police, the lady’s body was taken to the hospital where she was confirmed dead and her corpse deposited at the mortuary, stressing that he was arrested and detained for a week at the police station.
Also, John Nyang, Manager of a hotel located at Woji Road – GRA Phase 2, where Jennifer Wokecha was murdered, testified that on the 14th August 2019, David Gracious West booked room 108, and the body of the deceased was discovered after several knocking attempts made by a staff and no response came from the occupants of the room.
According to him, the lifeless body of the lady was found on the bed, her legs, hands tied and her neck tied with a white handkerchief.
He said the matter was reported to the Police and he was detained at the Police State Criminal Investigation Department Port Harcourt after giving his statement.
Nyeche Sabinus, Manager of a hotel at D/Line Port Harcourt, where Maureen Ewuru was murdered, said that on July 30th he booked room 132, and the body of the lady was discovered on the 31st July, adding that Maureen’s lifeless body was found tied to the bed, her neck tied with white handkerchief.
He told the court that the incident was reported to the Police, the corpse deposited at mortuary after confirmation of her death by a doctor, adding that he was also detained at the police station.
The presiding Judge, Justice Adolphus Enebeli, adjourned the case to 11th December for the continuation of cross-examination of prosecuting witnesses.
Vincent Chuku, Counsel to 1st Defendant David Gracious West told our correspondent Tina Amanda, that the Prosecution must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that his client actually committed the crime.
“The witnesses must be cross-examined, they have to further prove the fact they have stated before the court, they must be thoroughly examined to know the veracity of their statement, that is why the matter is in court”
On his part, Principal State Counsel of the Rivers State Ministry of Justice, Chidi Ekeh, said the state is ready to prosecute the matter to its logical conclusion.
“Three witnesses were brought today to testify and they were all managers of the various hotels where the murder incidences took place. I have a long list of witnesses, but we don’t intend to call all.
“What the law requires is not to call a community of witness but to call relevant witnesses that can help us establish our case.
“So, if I call three or four more witnesses and I know that I have proved all elements of the offence of murder, in that instance I will end it at that point
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What is the big deal.that name is suppose to command respect but alas it does not cos of their abuse of power and the way they are not well taken care of .
ReplyDeleteSoldier be running cab driving.
Those people should be heavily paid and respected but when no measures is made from defaming the name what do u Expect.
after all camouflage is sold everywhere
Don't worry, go and insult a military officer, you will come and understand that khaki no be leather.
DeleteDid u read where I said abuse of power.go and read again
DeleteI'm actually surprised a "learned" lawer agreed to represent this murderer in court after his open confession. I'm ashamed for him.
ReplyDeleteAnd a Lawyer is defending this one, there are some matters, my conscience will not even allow me follow my principal to courts. I wish i can have a job with state as a state counsel or a better job. I'm tired of defending criminals in the name of assigning matters to everyone
ReplyDeleteLawyers have the right to represent who they want. Law and morality are 2 different things.
Deletethat man is innocent until proved guilty by a competent court,he has d right to an attorney
DeleteDede👍👍👍👍👍
DeleteMilitary is used to put fear and commit atrocities... most cars nw has military sticker on it, dy want mu run fr dem
ReplyDeleteA lawyer is representing this serial murderer all because of money, I pray Justice prevail at last
ReplyDeleteWaste of state resounding. They should just poison him.
ReplyDeleteDavid Gracious West.
ReplyDeleteI have my inhibitions about him being the real killler. This our Nigerian police are horrible. A night with them and you can confess to killing your own mother. If they bring broom sticks and stick them up mans "P" or threaten to do so if you do not confess to what they want, you will confess.
ReplyDeleteHow many hotel managers are the people that personally book clients into their hotels? And yet all 3 hotel managers are here giving details descriptions of how they booked him into their hotels? If they had said from reviewing cctvs they realized he checked in and ...., I would have been more convinced. If I were in their position and was arrested because there was a death in my hotel, I would give whatever evidence I am told to give by the police if it helps keep me in the clear and away from locked up again.
Also I notice that each of the managers say the girls were found with a white handkerchief around their necks, but the suspect said in his confession that he tore a pillow case each time and used it to tie around their necks. Has anyone confirmed that each and every hotel had a white pillow case? How come nobody mentioned anything about the remaining bits of the torn pillowcases and if you want to say he took them with him, nobody noticed a guest exiting the hotel with their soft furnishing in his pocket (it is a lot bigger than a handkerchief)? I do not know of any Nigerian man that does not know what a handkercheif is and would mistake a torn bit of a pillowcase for a handkerchief (unless you want to say he was such an exper that he carefully tore each pillowcase into pieces that looked like a handkercheif.)I sew bedsheets/cases and even in a rage it has been impossible for me to rip a pillow case by hand, which he claims he did. It sounds to me like he was told what to say in his confession about how he did it.
If they bring cctv footage from the hotels showing him in each of the hotels and proof that each hotel had white pillow cases/show the handkerchiefs/pillowcases used, I migh be persuaded to believe this case against him but for now I just cannot help a niggly feeling that this boy is an innocent victim himself and the real killer is some top shots bored kid from abroad living out his oyinbo serial killler fantasy (who knows maybe that is why the person was sent back to Nigeria).
I am glad he has a lawyer and I hope his lawyers are clever enough to look into things carefully and ask guests who have previously stayed in the hotels if the pillowcases were all white in the past.It is because of situations like this that people are considered innocent until proven guilty, even though the police tried to stitch a case against him by parading him in front of cameras with a confession of details of how he supposedly did it, even though this is going to trial.