By Andrew Kariuki
The Milimani Law Court has released Michael Macharia Njiri, widely known as DJ Brownskin, after ruling that the prosecution did not present enough evidence to support charges arising from the death of his wife.
In a judgment delivered on Thursday, Milimani trial magistrate Caroline Nyanguthi held that the State failed to establish its case to the legal threshold required in criminal proceedings.
DJ Brownskin had been facing accusations that he influenced or encouraged his wife, Sharon Njeri Mwangi, to end her life on July 29, 2022, at their residence in Kariobangi South within Buruburu Sub-County.
Prosecutors had also accused him of failing to take reasonable action to stop the incident, despite allegedly being aware of what was happening.
The court heard that Sharon died after consuming a poisonous substance.
The matter drew intense public interest following the circulation of a video online that was alleged to be connected to the events surrounding her death.
In a separate charge, the prosecution claimed that the accused deleted material from his phone on June 1, 2023, knowing that the information could be relevant to ongoing or future judicial proceedings, thereby interfering with potential evidence.
After reviewing the evidence and witness testimony, the court found that the prosecution had not sufficiently proved the essential elements of the offences.
Magistrate Nyanguthi ruled that the gaps identified in the State’s case meant the charges could not stand.
The court therefore acquitted DJ Brownskin of all counts, bringing the case to a close.
He had been charged in June 2023 following investigations into his wife’s death.
