Kenyan court bars Wanjiru's widow from speaking on inquest

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A Kenyan court has on Wednesday barred marathon star Samuel Wanjiru's widow and other witnesses to take to the stand in the inquest into his controversial death from making public statements regarding the ongoing probe.

Hearing failed to proceed Wednesday and was pushed to Friday after Trizah Njeri, the widow, through her lawyer sought to have former Chief Government pathologist Moses Njue recalled to the stand.

The lawyer told the court he needs to cross-examine the pathologist on his testimony that the Beijing Olympics champion did not die from injuries sustained from a 14-foot fall from his balcony but from blunt object trauma after he was struck by a heavy object in his head after the initial incident.

Nairobi Chief Magistrate Hannah Ndung'u cautioned Njeri and other witnesses who are yet to give evidence from issuing any statements or making comments on circumstances surrounding the death of the two-time Chicago and London marathon champion.

The magistrate added the court will not hesitate from taking stern action if she does not refrain from doing so.

"Witnesses are warned against making comments on the issue before the inquest failure to which stern action will be taken," the magistrate declared.

The warning by the court came a day after Njeri openly disproved the testimony of Njue that was repeated at a local television station for concluding that her husband was killed.

Njue explained that it was not possible for the deceased to have fallen from the 14 feet balcony as claimed to generate momentum to kill him saying a fatal fall should have been from at least 30 feet for a person of his height.

Wanjiru's wife however denied the testimony hours later claiming Njue's post-mortem report was different from what he told the inquest in a case where three conflicting reports were issued from pathologies conducted in the aftermath of his May 15, 2011 death that stunned the world.

The late marathon stud met his death after being released from his training camp in Eldoret to prepare with his lawyer his defence in a case he was facing for illegal possession of a firearm.

Wanjiru is reported to have stopped over in the Kenyan Rift Valley town of Nakuru where he had drinks before continuing with his partying in Nyahururu and after retiring to his home inebriated, got into dispute with his spouse that set saw him jump from his balcony as he pursued his fleeing wife who had locked the main door to their home.

He succumbed to his apparent injuries from the fall after being rushed to a local hospital bleeding profusely as doctor's failed to resuscitate him although his mother, Hannah Wanjiru, applied for the inquest claiming his son, a sole breadwinner was killed.

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