By Audrey Raymonda John
A nurse N’tuma Mansaray has been acquitted and discharged of murder after eight out of ten jurors returned a verdict of not guilty in favour of her.
“N’tuma Mansaray, because the jury has returned with a verdict of not guilty, you are therefore acquitted and discharged,” Justice Sullaiman Bah ruled.
Though not unanimously agreed, the jury after going through all the evidences told the court that N’tuma acted on self-defense during the incident which led to the death of Mahmoud Mansaray her husband now deceased.
N’tuma was standing trial on one count charge of murder after police in Freetown alleged that on March 30, 2020 she stabbed and killed her husband Mahmoud Mansaray at Murray Town Barracks in Freetown.
Before giving his final verdict, Justice Bah in his summing-up mentioned that ten prosecution witnesses had testified in the matter including six police officers, three factual witnesses and a coroner.
He said the prosecution have submitted in their argument that the first, second and fifth prosecution witnesses in their separate testimonies confirmed that Mahmoud died on March 30, 2020.
The judge refreshed the minds of the 10-man-jury that Sheku Kamara the first prosecution witness testified that the date of the incident he went to sleep at around 9pm and woke up by a loud noise from Mr Mansaray’s resident around 11:30pm. He said when he went there, the door was closed and he heard Mahmoud saying ‘wait let me come for you’ shortly before he heard Mahmoud’s voice shouting that he had been stabbed ‘E don chuk me’ Mahmoud screamed.
Kamara stated that he broke the door, entered in and met Mahmoud lying on top of N’tuma and when he removed him, he was blood on Mahmoud’s white t-shirt and a bite mark on N’tuma’s upper face.
Justice Bah furthered that Captain Sylvanus Sheriff also told the court in his testimony that he was at home when he heard a knock on his door and Zainab informed him that Mahmoud has been stabbed and might not live. He said after getting the information he went and met N’tuma holding her child and he asked her if she stabbed her husband, she replied yes but could not say the reasons because she was crying.
The judge added that Zainab Kargbo who testified as the fifth accused also testified of seeing Mahmoud that night before the incident but later heard a loud noise that sounds like a fallen tree and she almost ran away. She continued that she then saw her son the first prosecution witness Kamara and another man took Mahmoud out, she saw blood on him and N’tuma also wanted to go but she told her to wait.
Justice Bah noted that Dr Simeon Owizz Koroma testified as the corona that showed that Mahmoud’s death was caused by hemorrhagic shock and loss of blood.
Justice Bah helped the jury with the difference between manslaughter and self-defense, clearly stating that self-defense can only be granted if:
The accused was not the initiator of the fight, if she felt her life was threatened, if she was grievously wounded.
The jury returned after an hour of deliberation among themselves but was unable to give a unanimous decision and justice Bah sent them to go have another period of deliberation.
Upon their return eight out of ten jurors found N’tuma not guilty while two found her guilty giving a total ratio of three-third majority.
Justice Bah then acquitted and discharged N’tuma of murder as declared by the jury.
N’tuma could not help but burst into tears of joy which was fueled by the emotional and jubilant voices of her family, friend and loved ones, N’tuma then switched to mood of joy and sweet smiles.
