A man from Nyeri who killed a 7-year-old girl and buried her in his home has been sentenced to death

• Nyeri High Court sentenced Julius Macharia to death after finding him guilty of defiling and killing seven-year-old Tamara Blessing
• Judge Magare Kizito said that the crime was deliberately planned, carried out and incited by Macharia to betray the victim’s trust
• The judge cited the brutality of the crime, the trauma done to the family and community, and the prisoner’s lack of remorse as reasons for the higher sentence.

The Nyeri High Court has sentenced Julius Macharia to death after convicting him of raping and killing a seven-year-old child, Tamara Blessing.

The 35-year-old Macharia was convicted by the High Court, which ruled that the evidence presented was sufficient to justify the decision.

Judge Magare Kizito noted that the accused understood the brutality he was treating the victim and that he betrayed the trust placed in him to protect him.

According to the judge, the crime was deliberately planned and carried out with great care, adding that the criminal deserved a more severe punishment.

“This crime was planned, premeditated, and skillfully executed. The child was cheated by someone he trusted until his death. He was brutally raped and buried,” he said.

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The judge was moved by the brutality that Tamara experienced and praised the police officer who revealed the crime.

“If it wasn’t for the sharp-eyed officer, who definitely deserves a promotion, we would never have known. You destroyed the child, tore him apart, caused him to bleed profusely… and then proceeded to strangle him by suffocating him,” he said.

The suspect was also found guilty of trying to hide evidence by burying Tamara’s body under her bed.

Judge Kizito noted that the officer’s attention and CCTV footage were important in uncovering evidence that might never have been found.

He emphasized that the brutality was not only to kill and destroy the life of the victim, but also hurt his parents, extended family and society in general.

“The emotional shock is permanent. The fear is great. The court heard directly from one of the victims whose testimony was very distressing. The report of the surveillance officers was submitted, interviews were conducted, and the interviewees recommended severe punishment,” he said.

The judge added that the court could not pardon the criminal due to lack of remorse.

“I didn’t see you sharing in the pain of others. You had a disturbing lack of compassion. It was as if you were proud of what you did,” he said.

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He likened the incident to a scene from a horror movie.

Despite having the option of life imprisonment, Judge Kizito said it would not be fair due to the nature of the crime and the suffering he caused to the victim’s family.

“Rape alone attracts a life sentence. So if I give you a life sentence, it makes no difference if you raped her and left her or if you raped her and killed her,” he explained.

The judge reached the death sentence decision after reviewing key aspects of the case, including the fact that the victim was a child and that the perpetrator was entrusted with his security but betrayed it.

He added that gender and sexual violence was committed against the victim.

“The manner of the murder was horrific. The sexual violence was extreme compared to the age of the victim. Her tissues were violently torn by sexual interference, with the release of a large amount of sperm during the prolonged attack,” said the judge.

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Source: TUKO.co.ke