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Kenyan Man on Trial for Manslaughter Removed from Massachusetts Court

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Nyakundi Report

Newsroom 1 min read

This archive report was first published on 11 November 2019.

On November 11, 2019, a dramatic scene unfolded in a Worcester, Massachusetts, courtroom as David Njuguna, a 33-year-old Kenyan man on trial for manslaughter, was removed after becoming unruly.

Njuguna, who allegedly killed Massachusetts state trooper Thomas L. Cardy in a car crash on the Massachusetts Turnpike in 2016, was on trial for manslaughter and motor vehicle homicide while driving under the influence of marijuana.

As the trial began, Njuguna stood up to apologize, but also criticized his attorneys and the US judicial system, prompting the judge to order court orderlies to remove him.

Before being escorted out, Njuguna repeatedly apologized for the accident, stating, "I thought that I could trust the judicial system. It was an accident. Am really sorry. I just wanted you to know that I'm very sorry."

However, the judge, Janet Kenton, refused to accept his confession, citing that he was not under oath. She advised Njuguna to meet privately with his attorney, Peter Ettenberg, before the outburst.

As Njuguna was being removed, he yelled, "Why are you people lying about everything? Oh my God, why are you lying?"

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