By Hassanatu I. Conteh
Phebean John, a seamstress, made another appearance before Magistrate Santigie Bangura of Pademba Road Court No.2 in Freetown on a count of housebreaking and larceny contrary to Section 26 (1) of the Larceny Act, 1916.
According to the particulars of offence, on 31st May, 2024, at Jarrett Drive off Regent Road at Lumley, the accused broke and entered into the dwelling house of Aminata Kamara and stole therein physical cash of NLe4,055 (four thousand and fifty-five leones), two rolls of sachet milk, seventy-five pieces of baby clothes, one pair of baby sandals and other assorted items equivalent to the total value of NLe7,490 (seven thousand four hundred and ninety leones), property of the said Aminata Kamara.
The charge was read and explained to the accused person. No plea was taken.
Police Constable 18235 Thoronka K.K. led prosecution witness number one, Aminata Kamara, who lives at #2 Jarrett Drive, and is a business woman. According to the witness, she knows the accused person as her neighbour.
She did recall 31st May, 2024, saying something transpired between her and the accused, continuing that on the above date the accused person pleaded with her to go with her to service and on her way to the service, she met the accused very sick, so she left.
Upon arriving home from church, the witness added that two rolls of milk were missing from the bundle; milk she had left in her room. She therefore called one Haja and asked, but she claimed not to have knowledge of the missing milk.
The witness furthered that she found out that the money she had left on the table for her child’s school fees was also missing (NLe1,555). She said she then decided to use the money she had kept under the mattress, which was NLe2,500, but found out it was also missing.
According to the witness, the following morning, the accused was asking her what caused her to search her house at night and also why she was grumbling. She said she answered the accused that her house had been broken into.
The accused told the witness that she should ask her friend Haja. As she was trying to go and confront Haja the accused blocked her, causing her to strike her hand which led to the accused’s bag falling, during which she saw her spare key she had left on the parlour table in her house.
According to the witness, she asked the accused how she got her spare key, and the accused told her that it was her child who had left it in her parlour. She asked when that was, but the accused failed to answer. She then called Haja and reported the issue to her.
Haja later called the witness stating that the accused admitted to taking the milk. When she went to church, the accused showed her the empty packets.
The witness concluded that she reported the matter to the accused’s father and then reported the matter at the Lumley Police Station where statements were obtained from her.
The witness concluded that police officers visited the scene and took snapshots.
The witness was cross examined by defence counsel F. Gerber Esq. who renewed his previous bail applications on behalf of the accused person.
Magistrate Bangura refused bail and sent the accused to the female correctional facility in Freetown.
The matter was adjourned to 18th July, 2024.