DJ Brownskin acquitted of charges related to aiding wife's suicide

Popular entertainer DJ Brownskin, whose real name is Michael Njiiri, has been acquitted of all charges related to the death of his wife, Sharon Njeri, in July 2022. 

In a ruling on Thursday, Milimani Magistrate’s Court found that the prosecution failed to establish a case against him. 

“The court cannot safely convict on any of the counts,” Magistrate Caroline Nyanguthi stated, before acquitting Brownskin under Section 210 of the Criminal Procedure Code. 

The DJ was facing three counts: aiding suicide, neglect to prevent a felony and destroying evidence. 

The court found that none of the allegations met the legal threshold required to place him on his defence. 

While delivering the ruling, the magistrate said the matter required “sobriety, compassion and respect for human dignity,” noting that the death itself was a profound tragedy for both families. 

The court emphasised that its role was not to assign moral judgment, but to determine whether the evidence on record could sustain a conviction. 

According to the court, although it was undisputed that the deceased died by suicide, the prosecution did not demonstrate that DJ Brownskin encouraged or intentionally contributed to the act. 

The court said only two witnesses, a househelp and the couple’s daughter, were present during the incident, and their testimonies indicated that the DJ and his wife were intoxicated and argued shortly before she ingested poison. 

The witnesses also testified that after realising something was wrong, the DJ attempted to help by giving her milk and asked for assistance from neighbours before taking her to hospital. 

“There was no evidence that the accused supplied any instrument, issued instructions, encouraged the deceased, used threats or influenced her to commit the act,” the magistrate ruled. 

On the second count of neglect to prevent a felony, the court held that the prosecution had not proved the DJ knew beforehand that his wife intended to harm herself. 

Witnesses, including family members, confirmed the substance she consumed had been bought earlier for household use and was kept openly in the home. 

Regarding the third count of destroying evidence, the said none of the seven witnesses gave testimony linking the accused to the alleged removal of his mobile phone. 

The investigating officer was not called, prompting the court to infer that the missing evidence would not have supported the prosecution. 

The magistrate also addressed the widely circulated video that emerged online months after the incident, noting that although the recording influenced public opinion and triggered the DJ’s arrest, it was never produced in court. 

She added that the defence had suggested it may have been leaked during a family dispute over child custody. 

Citing legal precedent, the court ruled that any evidential gaps must be resolved in favour of the accused. 

During the prosecution hearing, the court was told that Njeri died after ingesting poison, with claims that her husband was watching. 

The state also alleged that the DJ deleted suicide-related material from his phone, allegedly knowing that would be need in any judicial proceedings against him. 

The magistrate however ruled that the prosecution did not give sufficient evidence to establish the elements of the charges. 

DJ Brownskin was arraigned in June 2023 following investigations into his wife’s death.