Lawyer accused of killing own child, suffered mental and physical abuse as a child
By Correspondent Reporter
THE Lusaka High Court has heard how a Lusaka lawyer Namweene Kamoto Phiri, who is accused of poisoning her son tried to commit suicide, after the child had drowned in the bathtub.
Esther Phiri testified that her sister, Namweene, decided to take a pesticide called Doom after she failed to resuscitate her son.
In this matter, Phiri on February 15, 2022 is alleged to have killed her two-year -old son by administering a pesticide to him and later consumed the same in an attempt to commit suicide.
She, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge of murder.
When the matter came up for defence last week on Friday, an emotional Phiri described her sister as a loving mother who loved and took good care of her son, Eden.
“She told me that her baby had drowned in the bathtub and when she noticed that, she got him and tried to resuscitate him. She tried to pray for him to come back to life, but he didn’t. She failed to bring him. She cried, your Lordship she loved the baby so much that she was devastated. So, she decided to take Doom, which she had mixed with some Domestos so that she could end her life,” she said.
Phiri said she never wanted to live anymore as the purpose of her life had ended with the death of the child.
“She felt she had no purpose to continue living because the son she was living for was dead,” said Phiri.
She told the court that friends of Nawa Sipalo, the child’s father, are the ones that suggested that Phiri had poisoned herself and the child when they went to the hospital.
Phiri, however, said that the allegations did not make sense because there was no substance on the boy’s body to show that he had been poisoned.
“I went to see Eden (boy), he was just there sleeping peacefully, no substance on his body. He was clean,” she said.
And Phiri, testified that Namweene would suffer from depression and that she even sought therapy with a Dr, Folotiya and Psych Health Zambia.
With tears in her eyes, she told the court that Namweene suffered mental, verbal and physical abuse during her childhood at the hands of their late aunt.
Phiri said at some point, the accused even ran away from home to live on the streets.
“She was abused mentally, verbally and physically by my late aunt, who was married to my late mother’s younger brother,” she narrated.
Phiri attested that in 2004, Namwene attempted to commit suicide by taking an overdose of Panadol.
“In 2005, I got married and took her in. During this time, I noticed she was battling with anger issues,” she stated.FRA LAWYER KILLS SON
17th February,2022 – Ibex police station received a report on 15th February,2022 in which Male Moya Mpehle aged 28 of plot number 52 in ibex hill off twin palm road reported that a Male Juvenile Ayden Sipalo aged 2 of ibex hill died after being given a suspected poison known as blue death insect powder Doom by the mother female Namwene Phiri aged 31, a lawyer for Food Reserve Agency after the body was found lying on the bed with foam of vomits on the mouth and the mother in a similar condition with a written statement beside confirming having committed suicide written on 15th February,2022.
The body of the deceased child was deposited in University Teaching Hospital Mortuary on 15th February,2022 and Postmortem has been conducted today.
The mother is still admitted to Levy Mwanawasa Teaching Hospital as she attempted to commit suicide and survived although she is in a critical condition.She is under police guard.
RAE HAMOONGA
ZAMBIA POLICE SERVICE
SPOKESPERSON.