By: Audrey Raymonda John
Magistrate Marke Ngegba of Pademba Road Court No.1 has sentenced Success Gibson a pupil attending Ahmadiya Secondary School to a jail term of twelve months and Kadiatu Kamara of the same school to a jail term of eight years.
Both convicts were charged for the offence of unlawful possession of Kush and cannabis sativa contrary to section 8(a) of the National drugs Act of 2008.
According to the particulars of offence, on the 24th January, 2023 at Calabash, Kissy Freetown, the first Convict Success Gipson, age 24 years was found in possession of 140 wraps of Kush weighing at 20.6 grams, while the second convict Kadiatu Kamara age 24 years was found in possession of 25 wraps of cannabis sativa weighing at 38.9 grams without lawful authorities.
Taking the witness stand, the exhibit clerk Mohamed Yusuf Jalloh Detective Police Constable 2905 attached to the exhibit store of the Trans National Organized Crime Unit Hastings recognized the accused person in the dock.
He said he was on duty on the 6th of January 2023 at Hastings when Detective Sergeant 13905 Bangura S, handed over to him the following exhibit to with twenty five wraps of cannabis sativa, one hundred and fifty wraps of Kush and ten book of rezla. He said he received them and registered them in the court exhibit book against serial number 06/2023.
He witness said since then they have been in his custody.
After tendering the exhibits, defense counsel Kemeh Kamara informed the Bench that her client wanted to change their plea.
The court clerk re read the charges and both accused person pleaded guilty to the charges levied against them.
Reading the fact as charge, the prosecutor Assistant Superintendent of Police Christian Davis Cole said both accused are charges with the offenses above for which the punish attached is not less than five years.
She said even though they are first offenders she wish the bench to lay punishment on them which will serve as warning to others.
Defense counsel prayed for the bench to tamper justice with mercy.
She said her client did not waste the court`s time by pleading guilty to the charges levied against them. Defense counsel said first accused is a pupil attending Ahmadiya Secondary School and has to sit his first term exam.
Having heard the plea mitigation of defense counsel, Magistrate Marke Ngagba sentenced first accused to a jail term of twelve months and second accused to a jail term of eight months.
He ordered that they should return the drugs to the specific department at the Criminal Investigations Department.