By: Audrey Raymonda John
A consultant pathologist, Dr. Simeon Owizz Koroma, has given detailed medical evidence of the extensive injuries sustained by 17-year-old Tujah Sesay, whose death allegedly followed a severe physical assault on July 23, 2024, as the murder trial of Tommy Alusine, alias Alhaji, continued in court.
The accused is standing trial on one count of murder, contrary to Section 1 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861, as repealed and replaced by Section 1(a) of the Schedule to the Abolition of the Death Penalty Act 2022 (Act No. 6 of 2022).
Testifying before the court, Dr. Koroma, Government Chief Forensic Pathologist and Chief Medical Examiner, recalled that he conducted a post-mortem examination on the body of the deceased on July 26, 2024, to establish the cause of death.
He told the court that the deceased was allegedly subjected to a severe physical assault on July 23, 2024, at approximately 10:50 p.m. and died a few minutes later. Her body was subsequently conveyed to the Connaught Teaching Hospital Complex mortuary for a post-mortem examination.
According to the witness, his external examination revealed several injuries, including a large haematoma on the right side of the head, bleeding from the ears, nostrils and mouth, sunken and bloodshot eyes, a bitten tongue and a two-centimetre laceration on the lower lip.
He further observed swelling around the neck, fingernail excoriations and defensive injuries on both the palms and backs of the deceased’s hands.
Dr. Koroma also disclosed that the examination revealed multiple bruises and fractures involving the left humerus, radius and ulna, as well as the right femur, tibia and fibula.
Turning to his internal examination, the pathologist told the court that he discovered extensive skull fractures measuring approximately 26 centimetres on the right side of the head, accompanied by massive intracerebral haemorrhage.
He further identified severe dislocation fractures affecting the spinal column, with corresponding spinal cord injuries. He also observed extensive fractures involving the hyoid bone, cricoid, laryngeal and thyroid cartilages.
The witness explained that there was no evidence of any pre-existing medical condition that could have caused or contributed to the deceased’s death.
In his professional opinion, Dr. Koroma attributed the death to massive intracerebral haemorrhage resulting from extensive skull fractures, neurogenic shock arising from severe spinal injuries, and asphyxia associated with manual strangulation.
He classified the death as unnatural and concluded that the manner of death was homicidal.
During cross-examination, defence counsel C. Taylor Young of the Legal Aid Board questioned the pathologist about the nature and extent of the injuries, particularly whether the scratches and other physical marks could indicate the involvement of more than one person.
Counsel challenged the witness to explain whether he could establish that the injuries were inflicted by a single individual without conducting DNA testing.
The defence argued that the scratches could have been inflicted by several individuals and questioned how the pathologist could rule out that possibility based solely on his physical examination.
In response, Dr. Koroma clarified that he had not attributed the injuries to any particular individual. He further explained that he was neither requested to conduct DNA testing nor did he carry out any DNA examination in connection with the case.
He maintained that his testimony was strictly based on the medical findings and physical evidence documented during the post-mortem examination.
The cross-examination therefore focused on the limitations of the medical evidence in establishing the identity and number of persons who may have inflicted the injuries. The witness maintained that his findings did not establish who was responsible or how many individuals were involved.
The matter was adjourned to November 9, 2026, for further proceedings.