By Janet A. Sesay
A 24-year-old woman, Kadija Kamara, has been released by Justice Bawoh of the High Court No. 2 in Freetown after spending 11 months in custody for alleged office breaking and larceny.
The defendant made her appearance before the court on one count of office breaking with intent, contrary to Section 27(2) of the Larceny Act of 1916.
According to the particulars of offence, Kadija Kamara on the 21st April 2025 in Freetown broke and entered into the office of Alfisher Investment Company with the intent to commit a felony, namely to steal two canned drinks valued at sixty Leones and one foil food valued at one hundred Leones, amounting to a total value of one hundred and sixty Leones (Le160), property of Alfisher Investment Company.
Counsel representing the convict, Yanshim Esq., informed the court that the defendant had pleaded guilty to the offence charged. In his plea mitigation, counsel stated that her guilty plea was not intended to waste the court’s time but was a sign of remorse.
He further told the court that the convict is a single mother with a two-year-old child, a first-time offender with no previous criminal record, and that she had already spent over 11 months in custody since her arrest. Counsel therefore pleaded with the court to consider a custodial sentence equivalent to the time she had already spent in prison, noting that she had learnt her lesson.
In her address to the court, the convict pleaded for mercy and told the bench that she had learnt her lesson. She said she wanted to reunite with her child and promised never to commit such an offence again.
She further explained that her boyfriend had invited her to the place and, after ordering the food items, he left her there to pay the bill. She told the court that she had no money at the time and pleaded with the bench for mercy.
In his ruling, Justice Bawoh advised her not to involve herself in such offences again. He stated that considering the nature of the offence and the fact that the convict had already spent 11 months in custody, she had learnt her lesson.
Justice Bawoh therefore convicted her and sentenced her to the time already spent in prison.
The matter was prosecuted by R.B. Harleston and A.B.N. Taylor Kamara.