By Francis H. Murray
Magistrate Mark Ngegba in Freetown has remanded 27 year-old Dauda Kanneh alias Gunshot into the custody of the Correctional Services at the start of preliminary investigations into a five-count charge including assault occasioning actual bodily harm, malicious damage and threatening to kill.
The police allege that the accused person on Wednesday 19th August 2020 at an informal gathering place locally called Ataya Base at Yams Farm, in the western rural area, conspired with other persons unknown to rub, maliciously damage, assault and wound with intent, one Sulaiman Kabia.
They also allege that the accused person and others unknown on the same date stole from the complainant three mobile phones all to the total value of Le 3, 950, 000, 00
Led in evidence by Sergeant Hannah Newstead, the complainant Sulaiman Kabia recognized the accused person, calling him a “thug” and recalled that on the Wednesday 19th August 2020, he was home when there a blackout at his apartment which caused him to go to a nearby telephone center to charge his mobile phone.
‘‘On my way, I met the accused and his cohorts about five of them. One of them was standing in the middle of the road while the others sat down. The one who stood in the middle of the road asked me why I was going that way and I replied saying I was going about my own business. He blocked my way and when I attempted to find an alternative route, he pushed me and the accused person gripped me for a fight and ordered that I hand over whatever I had to him. They fought me and took away all I had including my three phones,’’ he explained.
The witness added that during the fighting, he felt a low to his head and part of his body which resulted in blood oozing out of his body and after the robbers had left him, he got up and went to the Akon Police Station where he was given a medical paper which he took to the Connaught hospital.
Under cross-examination by the accused person who didn’t have a lawyer, the witness said he could not tell who among the attackers took the phones from him because he was fighting for his life, but noted that he saw the accused among the attackers.
The matter was adjourned to the 1st October 2020.
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