An artist accused of murdering Starlet Wahu surprised the Milimani High Court when he disclosed that he was paying KES 35,000 for pleasure services offered by the socialite.
John Matara Ong'oa on Thursday told Justice Alexander Muteti, who is trying him for the heinous murder of Starlet at an Airbnb in South B, Nairobi, two years ago that hell broke loose when he failed to pay her KES 50,000 for pleasure, where KES 15,000 was amount owed to her.
That testimony stunned the court and members of the public in attendance as it was a mind-boggling revelation.
Led in his sworn defence by defence lawyer Samuel Ayora, Matara stated: "I did not kill my former lover by stabbing her. Instead, she is the one who hurt me. She cut herself and bled to death."
Although he denied stabbing Starlet on the night of January 3, 2024, at an Airbnb, he claimed that the she viciously attacked him when "he failed to pay her KES 50,000 for pleasure services offered."
In a fit of anger, Starlet swore that none of the two would leave the apartment alive "if he did not pay her the KES 50,000."
The trial judge heard that Starlet hauled nasty and dirty insults at Matara by calling him a dog, among other unprintable abuses.
"Fear gripped me when the woman I had stripped for a night of pleasure turned against me. I did not know what to do. I was shocked and at a loss when I was attacked in a gangland style while stark-naked," Matara stated.
In his sworn defence before Justice Muteti, Matara confessed that their relationship with Starlet began in July/August 2023 when they made their first encounters at a city hotel.
Matara, who said he first interacted with Starlet on a social media platform where people get potential lovers by posting their photos, said they met on January 3, 2024 "to celebrate the New Year."
He told the judge that he had several dates with Starlet and for "every pleasure escapade, she would charge him KES 35,000."
Matara, who is also a musician, a fine artist and a graphic designer, told the judge that when they met on January 3, 2024, around 8pm at Papino Apartment in South B, Nairobi, they bought a bottle of whisky which they sipped dry.
Led in his sworn defence by lawyers Samuel Ayora and James Mochere, Matara recalled that hell broke loose when "he told Starlet he did not have enough money to foot the pleasure charges offered."
"During our last date with Starlet, I had paid her KES 20,000, leaving a balance of KES 15,000 which I promised to pay by December 2023," Matara recalled.
He recounted that when they fixed the January 3, 2024, date, Starlet reminded him "to bring the balance of KES 15,000 in addition to the day's service fee of KES 35,000, bringing the total to KES 50,000."
When they met, they tested for HIV as Matara had bought a kit besides condoms.
"We tested negative. Starlet wanted raw sex besides the erotic postures which had become the norm," the judge heard.
Starlet had also asked Matara to book an apartment with a balcony as she did not want to stay indoors throughout the period they would spend together.
"Starlet told me she wanted interludes at the balcony, and so she asked me to book an apartment with a balcony as their previous encounters were enjoyable in the balcony," Matara recalled.
He said he located an Airbnb with one bedroom, a balcony and self-contained facilities.
Matara, dressed in a navy blue suit, a red tie and a sky blue shirt, took the court through the day's events until the night turned sour, with Starlet threatening to cut short their new year celebrations by leaving as he was "not honouring his promise to pay her KES 50,000."
He had earlier said that when they took residence at the Airbnb apartment, they stripped and Starlet asked him to film the night's events and also take her nude photos, which she posted on her social media handle where her clients could access them.
He further alleged that she posed for Matara to take her erotic nude photos, which she posted. They had also taken videos while engaging in pleasure.
Earlier that night, both Matara and Starlet had stripped naked and stayed so until she attacked him when he failed to make good his promise to clear the KES 15,000 debt and the day's pleasure fee of KES 35,000.
He called his sister Deborah to lend him KES 30,000 to top up, as he had paid Starlet KES 20,000. His sister declined, saying "she was far and did not have money."
He said that after the first round of encounter that evening, he went to relieve himself and when he returned "he found Starlet between the wardrobe and the bed. I went to her in a bid to hug her but she pushed me to the bed."
Earlier, she had threatened to leave, but he persuaded her to stay on, promising to pay the full amount on January 4, 2024, as he was expecting KES 100,000 for some work he had done.
He said he closed his eyes thinking she would join him for another pleasure bout, but instead he felt excruciating pain in his thighs.
He folded his legs but he received more stabs.
He claimed that he threw himself to the floor but she followed him and attacked him.
"I fled to the sitting room and she followed me there and we chased each other. I was bleeding profusely as she had cut my palms," Matara stated.
He managed to sneak out and limped down a staircase to catch a lift. He lied to people he found in the lift that he had been attacked by a thug.
He limped to a bus stage where two different riders refused to take him to hospital.
He was assisted by a third rider, whom he named as Opondo, who took him to hospital.
He collapsed at the gate of the clinic where he was dashed by Opondo.
He was later taken to Mbagathi Level 5 Hospital for further treatment as his thighs and hands had deep cuts.
The victim of violence said that earlier that night he received Starlet warmly when he aided her to alight from the red-coloured Uber which drove her into the apartment.
"Starlet was very pretty that night with high-heeled shoes and a mini-skirt. We kissed and hugged before sinking into pleasure which ended up in spilling blood and death," Matara stated.
"Your Lordship, I did not stab Starlet. It is her who attacked me," Matara testified in his defence.
Prosecuting counsel Solomon Naulikha is yet to cross-examine the accused, who is remanded in prison custody.
Hearing to proceed November 16, 2026, when Naulikha will cross-examine the accused.
Be the First to Comment