By Rahim Abdul
The High Court’s Criminal Division in Blantyre has found Lucius Wilson guilty of murdering his wife, Cecelia Yakob, after rejecting his defence concerning his whereabouts at the time of her death.
Wilson had told the court that he was in Lirangwe attending his brother’s funeral when the offence was committed.
However, the State successfully argued that Wilson’s explanation did not account for a critical period during which Yakob was believed to have been killed.
The court also considered evidence surrounding the couple’s relationship, including testimony about Wilson’s treatment of Yakob and alleged threats he made before her death.
Evidence was further presented concerning Yakob’s disappearance and Wilson’s movements around the time of the suspected murder.
After reviewing the evidence and submissions from both the prosecution and defence, the court on Friday convicted Wilson of murder.
The matter has been adjourned to allow for sentencing proceedings, with both the prosecution and defence ordered to file their submissions within 21 days.
Yakob’s body was discovered in a maize field in May 2021, and a post-mortem examination established that she had died after being strangled.
The prosecution was led by Principal State Advocate Layna Kulesi from the Directorate of Public Prosecutions, while Wilson was represented by the Legal Aid Bureau.
