- Murgor also said Khan’s brother Adil Khan is in possession of her rally car and he is demanding Sh2.9 million before he releases it.
- Justice Mutende told Murgor that the allegation was to the extreme and she would not record it.
Image: FILE
Rally driver Maxine Wahome on Tuesday told court that her boyfriend, Asad Khan, was an abusive partner and she is the victim, not the villain.
Wahome was charged last week with the murder of Khan which occurred in December last year after a domestic squabble.
Through her lawyer, Phillip Murgor, Wahome said Khan, who she alleged was a mechanic, had been taking all her sponsorship money leaving her destitute.
Murgor told Justice Lilian Mutende that all her sponsorship money went to Khan and his brother.
“Asad was a mechanic who helped Maxine fix her rally cars and when she got famous, all the sponsorship money ended up in the hands of Asad and his brother Adil,” Murgor said.
“Those sponsorships went straight to Asad and his brother Adil and as she stands here she does not have anything in her pocket and very little in her bank account.”
Murgor also said Khan’s brother Adil Khan is in possession of her rally car and he is demanding Sh2.9 million before he releases it.
Justice Mutende told Murgor that the allegation was extreme and she would not record it.
Murgor also narrated to court how Wahome met her boyfriend, saying he approached her. He said Wahome was a nursery school teacher at a nearby school and the deceased tracked her down and got her contact.
The lawyer said Wahome, who is now 25, got into the relationship with Khan, who died aged 50, when she was 22.
Murgor urged the court to release Wahome on reasonable bail, arguing that she was a victim of domestic violence.
The court heard that several witnesses, especially one neighbour, had recorded a statement saying Khan had been abusive to all his girlfriends prior to Wahome.
Murgor further told court why Wahome could not visit Khan in hospital, saying she did not want to face the deceased's hostile family.
He said the family had already painted her as the person who injured their son so she chose not to go to the hospital or attend the burial, but that does not mean she is the one who did it.
Murgor said there were people who saw Khan walking out of the house by himself to go to hospital after the altercation. He said there is also evidence from medical reports which show that Khan was drunk at the time of admission.
“He was completely drunk when the specimen was taken from him,” the lawyer said, even as he urged the court to grant Wahome reasonable bond, saying she will not abscond and that she is currently staying with her parents.
However, the state has opposed her release on bail, saying she may interfere with witnesses.
State counsel Mulama in his response to the bail application said it’s Khan who trained Wahome to be the best rally driver that she is today.
“My Lady, the accused was a rookie and it’s the deceased who made her to be who she is now, a celebrated rally driver,” he said.
The state said Wahome’s actions after the unfortunate incident was of someone who had something to hide.
Mulama said the first responders after the incident at the scene were her parents and not the police as had been alleged by defence.
The case will be mentioned Monday next week to confirm if the pre-bail report will be ready before the court delivers its ruling.