Judge Sentences Wife Killer, slain banker Titilayo’s husband to death

Akolade Arowolo

Justice Lateefat Okunnu of the Ikeja High Court has sentenced Akolade Arowolo, 32, who murdered his wife, Titilayo, to death.
The judge said that the prosecution proved their case beyond reasonable doubt and established that Mr. Arowolo was responsible for his wife’s death.
The convict fell in the dock and burst into tears after the judge condemned him.
Akolade Arowolo, the unemployed graduate charged for the murder of his banker wife, Titilayo Omozoje, was on Friday sentenced to death by hanging.
A Lagos High Court, Ikeja, presided over by Justice Lateefat Okunnu found Arowolo guilty of one- count charge of murder and sentenced him to death for the murder of Titilayo in June 2011.
He was alleged to have stabbed Titilayo to death on June 24, 2011 at their residence, No. 8, Akindeinde Street, Isolo, Lagos.
Justice Okunnu, citing various statements made by the defendant and authorities said the prosecution led by the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) Mrs. Olabisi Odugbesan, has proved its case beyond reasonable doubt.
“The prosecution has proved its case beyond reasonable doubt. I hereby found you guilty for the offence of murder. You are hereby sentenced to death by hanging, “the judge declared.
Immediately the verdict was pronounced on him, Arowolo, who held tight to the Holy Bible in the dock, throughout the four hours the judgment lasted, broke down, rolling in the dock and shouted, “Jesus, why? I did not do it. What would happen to Olamide?”
Olamide is the only product of the two- year marriage between the convict and the deceased.
Justice Okunnu based her judgment on three key issues – whether the victim was dead; whether the accused person was responsible for the act and whether he carried it out intentionally.
The judge said evidences from both the prosecution and defence witnesses confirmed that the victim was dead.
She also said there were enough evidences that showed that the deceased died as a result of multiple injuries to her chest and abdomen arising from multiple stabs that was inflicted on her.
The judge said that it was also clear in the evidences before the court that no other person entered the couple’s flat which remained locked until the second day when the brother to the defendant, Toyin, went in through the roof of the next flat and discovered the body of the deceased on bed.
“This eliminates any outsider at material point in time. The doctrine of last seen in law came into fore here. This means that the person last seen bears full responsibility for the death. It supports the proof already before the court. It supports the argument and adds probative value to the prosecution’s case. That shows it was the defendant who killed his wife.
“It is my finding that it is none other than the defendant himself who stabbed Omozoje to death. After eliminating all other options, I find that it was the defendant who stabbed his wife,” she said.

British mother’s horror as Australian ex-partner stabs and beats to death their son, 11, with a cricket bat at sports practice

A British has revealed the horror of watching her ex-partner stab and beat their 11-year-old son to death with a cricket bat at sports practice in Australia.
Police shot Luke Batt’s father Greg in an attempt to halt the frenzied attack, but the young boy was pronounced dead at the scene and his father died later in hospital.
Horrified parents and children who were gathered at the ground for evening cricket training watched the Greg attack his son with a knife and cricket bat on Wednesday evening at Tyabb Cricket Ground, in Victoria.
Describing the moments leading up to her son’s death she said ‘Luke came to me and said, ‘Could I have a few more minutes with my dad?’ because he doesn’t see him very often and I said, ‘Sure, OK.’
‘It was just a little cricket practice, there were people there, I believed he was safe,’ said Mrs Batty, 52.
‘I looked for help, and I ran towards help and screaming, ‘Get an ambulance, get an ambulance, this is bad, this is really, really bad,’ she said.
‘From what I could see, Luke had been injured. I thought it was an accident, I had no reason to think otherwise.’
‘What triggered this was a case of his dad having mental health issues,’ she told the Herald Sun.
‘He was in a homelessness situation for many years, his life was failing, everything was becoming worse in his life and Luke was the only bright light in his life.
‘No one loved Luke more than his father. No one loved Luke more than me — we both loved him.’
Recounting the horrific incident, she added: ‘It was just a normal cricket practice and most of the kids and their parents had gone.
‘Luke came to me and said could I have a few more minutes with my dad because he doesn’t see him very often and I said yes, sure, that’s OK.
‘There’s no reason for me to be concerned, there was no reason to be concerned, I thought it was in an open environment – that’s something I have to understand.’
Ms Batty, who is originally from Lincoln in England said that police told her it was a calculated act that would have occurred at some point.
The horrific attack unfolded at around 6.30pm in an outer suburb of Melbourne on the picturesque Mornington Peninsula in Victoria.
Tyabb is a quiet township with a country fire station, a railway station and three small primary schools including Flinders Christian Community College, where the boy was a sixth grade pupil.
Witnesses told the Herald Sun the father turned on them with the knife, forcing one of the officers to shoot him in the chest.
Local police from Mornington station arrived on the scene at 6.40pm, when four officers confronted the man and tried unsuccessfully to subdue him with capsicum spray.
As the news was broadcast, horrified Australians have begun posting tributes to the boy on social media.
Paramedics tried to save the boy, but he died at the scene from severe head injuries.
An emergency services helicopter took the father to the Alfred hospital, where the man died at around 1.30am on Thursday.
Victoria Police commander Doug Fryer confirmed the ‘male that the police shot was the ­father of the deceased boy’.
They’ve attempted to use less than lethal force, ‘ Commander Fryer said. ‘They’ve attempted to talk him down. That has been unsuccessful.
‘They have then discharged a firearm, hitting that male once in the chest.
‘We’ve had an absolute tragedy here tonight. It’s a horrific scene.’
Police later interviewed witnesses, including young children.
The incident has shocked the local community, with one resident describing how ‘a shiver’ ran down his spine when he heard ‘a couple of pops’ and realised they were gunshots.
Tyabb Cricket Club’s junior cricket co-ordinator, Ron Dyall, said the boy had played for the club for two or three years and was also an avid footballer.
Mr Dyall said he was devastated by what had happened.
‘My own son plays in [the boy's] team. I’m trying to figure out how to break it to him, and how we’re gonna deal with the kids.’
The Victorian Homicide Squad will conduct an investigation into the deaths.

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