By Musa Paul Feika
One Hassanatu Koroma and three others are standing trial at the Ross Road Magistrate Court No.1, which is presided over by Magistrate Alhaji Suliaman Koroma, for the offences of malicious damage and assault occasioning actual bodily harm, which are all contrary to law.
The police prosecution witness, Linda Macauley, told the court that she recognized the accused and she could recall Tuesday 6th August last year.
According to her, she was at Ross Road Magistrate Court No.1 to witness a matter that was ongoing between herself and the first accused, Yeankay Sorie Samura.
She said that, after the proceedings, herself and one John Kargbo went to the Kissy Police Station in Freetown. She added that, upon their arrival at the Kissy Police Station, she attempted to make a telephone call, but the first accused, Fatmata Massaquoi, came from nowhere and slapped her on her jaws. She continued that, after a few seconds, the 2nd, 3rd and fourth accused arrived at the Kissy Police Station in Freetown and started beating her.
The witness said, during the fight, her cell phone was damaged. The phone is valued at five hundred and fifty thousand leones (Le550,000), a lady’s bag valued at fifty thousand leones (Le 50,000) and physical cash of two million two hundred thousand leones (Le 2,200,000).
According to Linda Macauley, she reported the matter at the Kissy Police Station in Freetown, where she was issued with a police medical request form for treatment at the Government Rokupa Hospital in Freetown. She added that she returned the endorsed medical paper to Kissy Police Station.
The accused are charged with the offences of malicious damage and assault occasioning actual bodily harm, which are contrary to law.
The indictment states that Hassanatu Koroma and three others, on the Tuesday August 2019, at Kissy Police Station in Freetown, maliciously damaged one mobile phone, which is valued at five hundred and fifty thousand leones (Le 550,000), and at the same time assaulted the complainant, Linda Macaulay, in a manner thereby causing her grievous bodily harm.
The accused are on bail and the matter was adjourned to 8th July 2020.