Judge orders psychiatric examination for Lusaka
High Court Judge Justice Daniel Goundar has ordered the defence counsel to file a formal application for the psychiatric examination at the High Court in Suva yesterday.
The High Court in Suva has been told that a man charged with the murder of his wife at Service Street in Suva attempted to commit suicide on the same day.
This was revealed in court by the State prosecutor from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, Assistant DPP Elizabeth Rice, in the case of 39-year-old Kiala Marcellino
Penakoy Henri Lusaka.
Lusaka is charged with one count of murder of his 44-year-old wife Jennifer Anne Downes, an Australian national.
The alleged incident occurred on July 23, 2019, at their rented home an Service Street, Suva.
Lusaka told the court that he understood the charge which was read to him in English language and he pleaded not guilty. Justice Goundar said there was a bail application on the file which was filed by the accused in person and objections filed by the State.
Defence counsel from the Legal Aid Commission Krisheel Chang told the court that the defence would file a supplementary affidavit in support of the bail application.
State prosecutor from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, Assistant DPP Elizabeth Rice, told the court that it would depend on the state to file further objections depending on the contents of the supplementary affidavit.
Mr Chang also made an oral application for a psychiatric evaluation to be conducted for the accused.
He told the court that Lusaka had a history of psychiatric illness.
Ms Rice told the court that the doctor from the Colonial War Memorial Hospital had reported that Lusaka may have been suffering from mental illness and they gave him medication for it.
She told the court that when the Police reached the crime scene, Lusaka attempted suicide and was taken to the CWM Hospital for assistance.
Ms Rice also told the court that Lusaka was originally from Republic of the Congo and had travelled with his wife and she did not have any previous medical history of the accused.
Lusaka has been further remanded in custody and the case has been adjourned for mention to October 25.