By Elkass Sannoh
Justice John Bosco Allieu, a Court of Appeal Judge, on the 10th September 2021 sentenced two convicted persons; 38-year-old Hassan Morray (alias Sani Med), an artist and a 58-year-old stone miner, Alimamy Bangura to life imprisonment for the offence of murder.
The judgment came after an eleven-member jury unanimously returned a guilty verdict against the convict, Hassan Morray.
The particulars of offence stated that the convict, Hassan Morray, on the 17th of July 2017, at Freetown in the Western Area of the Republic of Sierra Leone, murdered one 85-year-old Sia Matu Yobah.
In his address to the jurors shortly before the verdict, Hon. Justice Allieu disclosed that the standard in all criminal trials is for the prosecution to prove the guilt of the accused beyond reasonable doubt.
He told the jurors that, if according to the totality of evidence before the court, they are satisfied that the prosecution has proved its case beyond reasonable doubt, they should return the appropriate verdict accordingly and vice versa.
He warned them not to concern themselves with any social media commentary or rumors about the matter outside the court but to strictly consider the evidence adduced before the court.
Justice Allieu said in addition to proving the guilt of the accused, the prosecution must also prove all the elements of the offence charged.
The Prosecution called 6 witnesses during the course of the trial including Pathologist, Dr Simeon Owizz Koroma.
The convict in his statement to the Police on the 22nd July 2017, five days after the incident, said he was in front of the gate of his house at Old School, West End of Freetown when he saw an old woman who asked him to give her medicine because she was sick.
According to him, the old woman took the medicines and entered his (convict) room to sleep, adding that he went away for a while only to return and found the woman swollen.
Morray said he used a knife and cut the throat of the deceased and constantly pressed her with the intention to reduce the swelling.
He however denied killing the deceased.
In his evidence, 5th prosecution witness Dr. Simeon Owizz Koroma, tendered his medical report on the cause of death, adding that the deceased died as a result of acute hemorrhagic shock due to profuse and torrential bleeding.
In his judgment, Hon. Justice Allieu said based on the guilty verdict reached at by the jury, the convict is sentenced to life imprisonment.
In another related matter, a jury panel unanimously returned a guilty verdict against 58-year-old Stone miner, Alimamy Bangura.
The convict was before the court on a one count indictment of murder.
The Prosecution had alleged that the convict on the 19th day of September 2017 murdered Alieu Kamara.
After the jurors returned a guilty verdict, the Hon. Justice Allieu sentenced the convict to life improvement.
Meanwhile, Hon. Justice Allieu acquitted and discharged Mohamed Kamara of the offence of murder after an eleven member jury unanimously returned a ‘not guilty verdict’ against him.
It was alleged that the accused on the 14th of August 2018 at Goderich Road, Lumley in Freetown, in the Western Area, murdered one Alfred Sama.
The prosecution led in evidence two witnesses in support of their case.
The cases were prosecuted by Lawyer Alberta Kargbo and defended by Cecilia Tucker.
