By Janet A. Sesay
Justice Monfred Sesay of the Freetown High Court yesterday sentenced Mohammed Bangura, Mohammed Kamara, Foray Kamara and Bampia Kamara to ten months imprisonment or they pay a fine of one million Leones each to the judicial sub treasury.
The convicts were before the court on five counts, ranging from conspiracy, malicious damage, wounding and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
The charge sheet indicated that the convicts, between the 18th and 21st April 2014 at Port Loko judicial district, conspired together with other persons unknown to commit malicious damage.
The indictment continued that the convicts, on 20th April 2014, maliciously damaged one house, valued seventy million Leones, which property belongs to Alhaji Wurie Jalloh.
Also the indictment stated that the first accused (Mohammed Bangura), maliciously wounded Abdul Kallie and Daniel Bangura. The indictment ended that the 1st, 3rd and 4th accused (Mohammed Kamara, Foday Kamara and Bampia Kamara) on the same day assaulted Isatu Jalloh in a manner occasioning her actual bodily harm.
Before sentencing the convicts, Justice Monfred Sesay said he had looked at the entire evidence before him and found the convicts guilty on counts one, three and five, but he did not found them guilty on counts two and four.
He said, in count two, the convicts were charged for the offense of malicious damage. However, in the testimonies of the prosecution witnesses, no evidence was led before the court on malicious damage, and no picture was tendered in court to show that the convicts committed an offense of malicious damage.
In count four, which talks of wounding, there is no evidence of wounding before the court. He therefore found them guilty on counts one, three and five.
Defense counsel from the Sierra Leone Legal Aid Board, Morrison Karimu, made a plea of mitigation on behalf of the convicts. He detailed the bench that they were first time offenders and had regretted their actions. He said the fourth accused (Bampia Kamara) was hospitalized and had gone under operation.
He pleaded for the Judge not to pose a custodian sentence on the convicts, adding that they should pay the minimum fine of one hundred thousand Leones.
State prosecutor Joseph Sesay, after listening to the plea of mitigation made by defense counsel, told the judge that a fine should be imposed on the convicts instead of being sent to prison.
Justice Monfred Sesay therefore sentenced the convicts to ten months imprisonment or they pay a fine of one millions Leones to the judicial sub treasury. He said the convicts should compensate the victim, Isatu Jalloh, five hundred thousand Leones.