Police said stabbed man killed himself, jury told

Relatives of a man stabbed in the neck with scissors say police told them he slipped or took his own life, but they did not accept the explanations, a court is told.

Kent Police initially believed the death of Osaretin Oronsaye, 62, was not suspicious after his wife Oghomwen Ogebor found his body upon returning home on 5 July, a jury heard.

Dorin Ciorba, of Barking in east London, is on trial at Maidstone Crown Court accused of murdering and robbing Oronsaye in Dartford, Kent, which he denies.

Oronsaye's half-brother Martins Oronsaye told the court he had suspected the death "was something different" despite police saying he "slipped" or took his own life.

Prosecutor Dominic Connolly asked Martins Oronsaye if he "didn't accept the suggestion that your brother had committed suicide and so you decided to look for his possessions", to which he replied: "Yes."

The police called Martins Oronsaye five days later to tell him they were now treating his half-brother's death as an unlawful killing, the court heard.

Ogebor said: "After everything, the coroner told us that my husband committed suicide."

Osaretin Oronsaye's possessions were found at Ciorba's flat during a police search, the court heard.

Ciorba, a handyman, allegedly used Mr Oronsaye's bank cards multiple times before he was arrested.

Ogebor said: "If he committed suicide you're supposed to see the phone, the wallet and the keys."

The jury heard Ciorba was arrested on 17 July following a post-mortem examination.

Prior to his death Oronsaye had been in a dispute with Ciorba over payment for some work done on his flat, the court has heard.

Oronsaye was suing Ciorba for about £2,000 and the handyman had received an email about the court case the day before the attack, the prosecution said.

CCTV shown to jurors on Tuesday showed Ciorba cycling to Oronsaye's home in the afternoon of 5 July before cycling away in a different outfit half an hour later.

It is Ciorba's case that he went Oronsaye's flat to finish a decorating job.

The defendant claims Oronsaye propositioned him for sex to repay his debt when he was at the Dartford flat and that he shoved him to the floor, but did not attack him further.

Ciorba's lawyers also say Oronsaye was involved in selling Class A drugs.

The victim's family said that he was not homosexual or involved in selling drugs, but told jurors he had an affair with a woman in Nigeria and had two young children there.

He had filed for divorce from Ogebor in 2025.

The trial continues.

Additional reporting by PA Media

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