By Mohamed Foday Conteh
Justice Ivan Sesay has sentenced 24-year-old Edwin George Williams Kona to 20 years imprisonment for wounding with intent.
Kona made his last appearance in court at the just concluded November call over after the State had alleged Kona wounded with intent Anthony Brown.
According to the medical report, Brown was stabbed three times with a sharp object. The report states that Brown suffered from a 4cm stab wound that required eight stitches in one of the stabbings.
Kona, when arraigned, pleaded guilty to the charges and admitted that it was the accused that provoked him to do the act. He told the judge that he used a bottle to stab Browne
The defence lawyer from Legal Aid, Cecilia Tucker pleaded with the judge to temper justice with mercy since the accused had not wasted the court’s time. She pointed out that the young man was a first-time offender, who had shown remorse and learnt his lessons. But Justice was unmoved and slammed the jail term.
In another matter, Fallah Ansumana Koroma was sentenced to one year imprisonment for stealing iron rods and boards totalling the sum of Le 3,300,000 (Three Million and three hundred thousand Leones).
Koroma, in his plea said he sold the said items because he was in a difficult situation, and begged for mercy.
The defence counsel, Cecilia Tucker, also pleaded with the judge to temper justice with mercy as her client had pleaded guilty in his first appearance and thereby not wasting the court’s time.
But the judge handed down a 12-month prison sentence, to be served at the Male Correctional Centre along Pademba Road in Freetown.
The just concluded call over saw 55 criminal cases which included murder, manslaughter, larceny, fraudulent conversation, sexual penetration and conspiracy among others were allocated to judges for speedy trial at High Court No. 1 in Freetown.
Justice Sesay presided over seven cases of murder, a case of manslaughter, 13 cases of conspiracy and several others in larceny and burglary.
Almost all of the cases were assigned to judges who preside over them starting on the 6th December until the criminal session ends in January next year.
Copyright © Politico Online 06/12/21
