Wellars Habakurama will spend the rest of his life in prison for murdering Iriniga Nsengiyumva, Ngoma Intermidiate Court ruled on Tuesday.

Reading the judgment before Rwamagana District residents, the presiding judge, Jerome Mugeyo, said the court unanimously decided on life imprisonment for the convict.

"After the court exhausted all the details of the case, Iriniga Nsengiyunva was found guilty and thus must be punished”.

"According to article 140 of the Penal Code, 101/2012OR of 02/05/2012, premediated murder of a person is punishable by life imprisonment. The court’s decision takes immediate effect,” Judge Mugeyo said.

Hamid Akimana, 39, a neighbour of the deceased, told The New Times that he was satisfied with the court’s decission.

He said that the residents would have appealed the decision if the court had given Habakurama a lesser sentence.

"The crime he committed has left the family of the deceased shattered…the three children have been orphaned,’’ Akimana added.

"The convict always battered his wife. In fact, he once beat her severely leading to a miscarriage.

‘‘Habakurama killed his neighbour, Nsengiyumva as he tried to stop him from battering his wife.

If there was any bigger punishment, he deserved it…he deserved capital punishment,” he said.

Akimana also commended the court’s decision to try the case in public, adding that it would act as a deterrent.

"It is the first time we experienced a public hearing…it actually gives warning to potential criminals. We call for more public hearing sessions, especially in areas where crimes are committed,” he said.

Sebastian Sebagabo, the Public Prosecutor, told the residents that the essence of the public hearings was to educate them about crime and associated punishment.

"We brought the trial here so that you all get to know what awaits someone who gets involved in committing crime. The arm of the law is very long…all murder cases will be tried in public. In only one week, we received over five cases of murder…you should be forewarned that the government has stood up against such crimes,” he said.

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