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Carl Gary Singleton, 41, who had been arrested on suspicion of murdering 22-year-old Peris Ashley Agumbi Mumtah was Tuesday set free by a Nairobi court for lack of sufficient evidence to sustain a murder charge. PHOTO | PAUL WAWERU | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- Carl Gary Singleton, 41, had been arrested on suspicion of murdering 22-year-old Peris Ashley Agumbi Mumtah.
- Magistrate Hannah Kaguru agreed to set him free after an investigation officer told court that there was no sufficient evidence to sustain a murder charge.
- The prosecution said it will still conduct an inquest into the death following a directive from the Director of Public Prosecutions Keriako Tobiko.
- Ms Agumbi reportedly died in hospital of diabetic hypertension and respiratory failure.
A Nairobi court has dropped charges against a British national who had been accused of killing his 21-year-old girlfriend whom he met on Facebook.
Carl Gary Singleton, 41, had been arrested on suspicion of murdering 22-year-old Peris Ashley Agumbi Mumtah.
Magistrate Hannah Kaguru agreed to set him free after an investigation officer told court that there was no sufficient evidence to sustain a murder charge against Mr Singleton.
However, the prosecution said it will still conduct an inquest into the death of the former University of Nairobi student following a directive from the Director of Public Prosecutions Keriako Tobiko.
On November 24, 2014 investigating officer Maurice Chemesis had requested the trial court to allow for more time for further investigations to be carried out.
The court had agreed to give the officers seven more days until Tuesday when Mr Singleton appeared in court for the second time.
“It has been approved to me on oath that for the purpose of investigations, it is necessary for the accused to be remanded to enable the completion of the said investigations,” ordered the Magistrate when Mr Singleton first appeared in court.
The court had been told that Mr Singleton had been arrested at Gachie Market on November 23, 2014 at around 5pm.
The court had also been told then that a psychiatric evaluation of the British national and a post-mortem on the body of the deceased was necessary to be done before Mr Singleton could be charged.
But he had appeared in court following his arrest the previous day, held in custody at Gigiri Police Station yet no clear charge against him had been indicated.
According to police, he had been a suspect following an earlier report by the deceased who was diabetic, that he had flushed her lifesaving medicine down the toilet.
Ms Agumbi reportedly died in hospital of diabetic hypertension and respiratory failure.
The two had allegedly met online two years ago through Facebook and Mr Singleton had flown into the country six months ago on a tourist visa to spend time with her.
