Cop killed wife, two daughters
2008-05-29 20:11
Grahamstown - A former police officer was convicted on Thursday by Grahamstown High Court of shooting dead his wife and two young daughters.
Judge Jean Nepgen found that Zuko Alby Njobe, 36, "intentionally killed" his wife, Nomothandazo, 28, and his daughters, two-year-old Liyema and five-year-old Sinovuyo, at their Kirkwood home on May 24, last year.
Sentencing is expected on Friday.
Njobe, formerly of the police married quarters at Moses Madiba, Kirkwood pleaded not guilty.
He claimed he was attacked by an unknown intruder, and had fired two shots off before he (Njobe) was shot in the head and lost consciousness.
Njobe claimed also his wife and two children had been shot with his CZ 88 9mm parabellum police issue, semi-automatic service pistol.
Judge Nepgen said it was inconceivably incomprehensible that Njobe had not mentioned that he had been attacked by an intruder to the police when they arrested him.
Highly improbable
"He was a policeman, after all is said and done, and his reasons for not doing so are ridiculous.
"His weapon had 15 rounds in it and seven were fired in total. Two into the head of each of the victims, and a seventh at his own skull," said the judge.
"His (Njobe's) claim that two shots were fired from the intruder's gun before he was hit, is not supported by any forensic or ballistic evidence."
The judge said that for an intruder to remove all evidence in a darkened room, including the retrieval of embedded bullets and cartridge cases, was so highly improbable it hardly deserved consideration.
"It was not entirely a premeditated action, but it was something the accused thought about doing from time to time, but what triggered off the shooting we will never know."
Judge Nepgen rejected Njobe's evidence that he was not bothered about a paternity issue around his youngest daughter Liyema, and particularly her (Nomothandazo's) reaction, which was to laugh at him when the matter was raised.
Njobe showed little reaction to the guilty verdict, but his elderly mother, who had been present each day of the trial wept as she sat in the public gallery.
- SAPA