A British court yesterday sentenced David Gikawa, 39, to life in prison for murdering a Rwandan woman, Linah Keza. The sentence follows a verdict by the jury on Wednesday that convicted Gikawa of 11 counts, including murder. The jury had also prayed the judge of central criminal court at Old Bailey, London, imprisons Gikawa for life. The judge subsequently handed the killer a life sentence, with a minimum of 21 years locked up, meaning that he can only apply for parole after 21 years. Gikawa stabbed Keza to her death on July 31, last year, using a kitchen knife after she decided to end their love affair. Media reports in the UK on Thursday indicated that the Rwandan model was trying to secure a restraining order against Gikawa by the time she was killed. Earlier, after the jury delivered its verdict, Keza’s family had welcomed the proposal by the jury to have the man imprisoned for life. “Our family has been gravely traumatised both emotionally and physically by this brutal act of violence and the loss of a loved one. A life sentence will not bring our sister back but will definitely serve as a deterrent and proof that justice has been served,” Keza’s elder sister Susan Asiimwe said after the jury’s decision.
