By Francis H. Murray
Justice Kumba Kamanda of the High Court in Freetown has sentenced three men to ten years imprisonment each after they were found guilty on a one-count indictment of sexual penetration with girls below the age of 18.
The three convicts were separately arraigned before the court on Friday 6th December 2020, where they all pleaded guilty to the offences for which they were charged.
21 year old Mohamed Pessima, one of the convicts, admitted to have been in a love relationship with the victim who was 14 years old at the time of the offence. Facts arising from Police investigations implicated Pessima and pointed to the fact that he engaged in an act of sexual penetration with the victim.
The police had alleged that the convict, on the 13th day of September 2020, in the Western Area of Freetown, engaged in an act of sexual penetration with the victim below the age of 18.
In his plea mitigation shortly before he was sentenced, Pessima who was not represented by a lawyer, pleaded for mercy and said he acted out of ignorance.
In delivering his judgement, Justice Kamanda noted that because the convict had not wasted the court’s time nor allowed the victim to go through the rigors of testifying before the court, he was inclined to sentence him to a term of imprisonment of 10 years.
Also, 25 year-old Abdul Bangura, another convict, admitted to the allegation and made a confessional statement to the police saying that he was in a love relationship with the sixteen year-old victim.
Police investigations implicated the convict and revealed that there’s evidence connecting him to the alleged offence against him.
The police had also alleged that the Abdul Bangura on diverse dates between the 1st and 3rd September 2020, in the Western Area of Freetown, engaged in an act of sexual penetration with the victim who was below the age of consent.
Bangura, not represented by a lawyer, pleaded for mercy and Justice Kamanda noted that he was inclined not to give him the maximum of life imprisonment because he didn’t waste the court’s time and sentenced him to 10 years imprisonment.
Augustine Bangura, another convict, made a confessional statement to the police that he was in a love relationship with a 15 year-old girl victim.
The police say their investigation led to the arrest and arraignment of the victim with evidence qualifying the matter for trial at the High Court.
The police had alleged that the Bangura, on diverse dates unknown between 1st December 2019 and 17 August 2020, in the Western Area of Freetown, engaged in an act of Sexual penetration with a girl.
After he pleaded for mercy, Justice Kamanda said that he was inclined not to give him the maximum of life imprisonment because he, like the others, didn’t waste the court’s time and sentenced him to 10 years imprisonment.
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