Tina Amanda
As the trial of the suspected Serial killer Gracious David West continued on Wednesday at the Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, a witness has told the court that Dorcas Francis, one of the victims of the murder died a week later in a hospital.
Lordkenya Ajuri, an Accountant and Manager of a hotel located at Trans Amadi in Port Harcourt where Dorcas Francis was found unconscious, told the court that at about 9:43 pm on September 8th, Gracious David West checked into the hotel with Dorcas to room 414.
Ajuri said that at about 11 am the next day being September 9th, Gracious West left his room and was about to walk past the reception and the receptionist called his attention.
However, West pleaded with the receptionist that he wants to make a withdrawal from Automated Teller Machine, ATM, adding that the suspect never returned again to the hotel.
Ajuri told the court that his attention as manager was drawn few minutes after Gracious West left the hotel by one of the staff who heard a very loud TV noise from the room where the suspect had lodged in.
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He stressed that the door was later opened with a master key after several knocks on the door yielded no response.
He said that Dorcas Francis was found tied up on the bed, her legs, mouth, hands were all tied with pieces of white clothes, adding that she was immediately rushed to the hospital, as she has was not dead as at the time they found her in the room.
She died a week later in the hospital.
He told the court that the victim’s identity was known from the bag they saw inside the room which had the lady’s office identity card.
The hotel manager noted that through the help of the police, the victim’s office and family were contacted.
Ajuri told the court that he was arrested and detained by the police after giving his statement and tendering the CCTV footage to police as evidence.
The presiding Judge, Justice Adolphus Enebeli adjourned to 13th December for a continuation of hearing.
