Joey and Jackie maribe judjed together.

Today's court proceedings offered quite a spectacle as Joey and Jackie Mareeba, once a couple, found themselves facing charges together for the murder of Monica T-Money. It was the first time they had been in the same space since the entire scandal involving Monica had begun, and they were now ready to plead on the charges of her gruesome murder. The state’s decision to charge Jackie Mareeba alongside Joseph Urgo for murder caught many by surprise, including Marybeth's lawyers, as it was a sudden turn of events.

For those following the case, it was clear that Jackie Mareeba had changed her statement, a move that often signals someone becoming a witness for the prosecution. This is exactly what has happened in this case, with Mareeba now set to testify against both Joseph Urgo and herself. This change in position, combined with new evidence, led the state to reassess their approach, with the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) making the decision on the spot to charge both Mareeba and Urgo for murder.

The charge of murder is significantly more serious than being an accessory after the fact, which implies knowledge of the crime only after it had been committed. The DPP's decision suggests that Jackie Mareeba was involved in the murder from the outset, as evidence now points to her having known about Monica's murder before it occurred. While this may seem shocking, in court, it is the facts, not opinions, that matter.

In criminal law, prosecutors only charge someone with murder when they are confident in the strength of the evidence. However, it's possible that the charge could later be reduced to something lesser, like accessory to murder, depending on how the case unfolds in court.

Jackie Mareeba appeared in court dressed in a black dress with white spots and no makeup, sitting beside Joseph Urgo, though their body language spoke volumes. The two seemed emotionally distant, as they avoided eye contact, even though they were jointly charged with the same crime. They had different legal representation, signaling further separation between them. Mareeba's mother, too, was visibly distant from Urgo, not acknowledging him as she would have done in the past when he was about to become her son-in-law.

For the family of Jackie Mareeba, this is a deeply painful time. A family member facing murder charges is not an easy thing to bear, especially considering the severity of such charges under the Penal Code, which once carried a death sentence. However, with the abolition of the death penalty in the 2010 Constitution, the punishment now is life imprisonment. The emotional toll on Mareeba’s family must be immense, as the possibility of a conviction looms large.

In a twist, the court decided that Jackie Mareeba could not enter a plea until a mental evaluation was conducted to confirm her fitness to stand trial. This decision harkens back to a precedent set in the 1980s, when the defense of a powerful individual's relative claimed mental illness, effectively halting the trial. Now, anyone facing murder charges must undergo psychiatric analysis to ensure they are mentally capable of participating in their defense. While Joseph Urgo has already gone through this process, Mareeba has not, which led the court to adjourn the case until a psychiatric evaluation is completed. The court also ordered Urgo to receive medical treatment, as he had reportedly not been properly attended to while in custody.

Following this ruling, both suspects will be transferred to remand prisons—Urgo to Industrial Prison and Mareeba to Lang'ata Women's Prison. Joey Urgo appeared calm in court, unfazed by the lack of interaction from some of the attendees, who were only greeting Mareeba. The decision to charge Jackie Mareeba alongside Urgo must have been a shock to her family, especially as her father had recently expressed concerns about her involvement in the case and the possibility of her testifying against Urgo. He had feared for her safety, given Urgo's connections.

Interestingly, the fact that Mareeba and Urgo have separate lawyers could lead to the revelation of potentially damaging information from either side, which could impact the other’s case. While public perception has largely seen Jackie Mareeba as a woman caught up in a situation because of her love for Urgo, murder trials often expose hidden truths. As the case progresses, the public may be in for more revelations that will shape the way they view the situation, regardless of whether the two suspects are ultimately convicted.