A 22-year-old man, Dennis Arinaitwe, who used his police constable lover’s gun to kill her and then stabbed his other girlfriend to death, has been sentenced to 70 years in prison. Arinaitwe had pleaded guilty, hoping for a plea bargain.
The sentencing was carried out by Judge Samuel Emokor of Kabale High Court. The prosecution, led by Juliet Najunju, informed the court that Arinaitwe, on March 19, 2023, at Kabale Police Barracks, shot and killed his police constable lover, Caroline Komuhangi, using her own gun. He then attempted suicide by shooting himself.
The prosecution also informed the court that on the same day, Arinaitwe stabbed his other girlfriend, Sarah Naturinda, a second-year student at Kabale University, to death at Kamukira Cell in Kabale Municipality.
Justice Emorkor emphasized that despite Arinaitwe’s guilty plea, which saved the court’s time and government resources, he deserved a deterrent sentence due to the brutal nature of his crimes. He also condemned Arinaitwe for attempting to escape justice by trying to kill himself with the same gun.
Justice Emorkor noted that Arinaitwe’s suicide attempt was unsuccessful, leaving him with disfiguring scars. He sentenced Arinaitwe to 35 years imprisonment for each murder, subtracting the 10 months and 18 days he had already spent on remand. This means that Arinaitwe will serve 34 years for each murder case.
Justice Emorkor concluded by explaining that Arinaitwe has the right to appeal the sentence if he is not satisfied with it.