By: Audrey Raymonda John
Champiel Coker, a businessman, appeared for his final arraignment before Magistrate Santigie Bangura at Pademba Road Court No.2 on four counts of charges. The charges included conspiracy, trespassing, malicious damage, and larceny.
According to the police charge sheet, Coker was accused of the following offenses:
On Friday, November 17, 2024, at Peninsula Road, Sussex, Freetown, in the Western Area of Sierra Leone, he conspired with persons unknown to commit a crime.
On the same date and location, Coker maliciously entered the dwelling house and compound of Yusuf Kamara, despite being warned not to do so.
On the same date and location, Coker maliciously damaged one of the locks on the doors at No. 11 Main Peninsula Road, Sussex, Freetown, valued at 600 Leones, the property of Yusuf Kamara.
On the same date and location, Coker was accused of stealing various items from Yusuf Kamara’s property, including two tons of iron rods (31,000 Leones), two hundred bags of cement (30,000 Leones), twenty-five lengths of Conteg rods (500 Leones), two cartons of nails (1,100 Leones), five headpains (250 Leones), five shovels (500 Leones), two rolls of building wire (1,000 Leones), one wheelbarrow (2,500 Leones), and two pickaxes (140 Leones), totaling 66,990 Leones.
Upon hearing the charges, Coker pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
The State Prosecutor, Assistant Commissioner of Police Joan Bull, requested the maximum sentence for the accused. Meanwhile, the defense counsel, J. Koroma Esq., pleaded for leniency, noting that Coker is a first-time offender and a family man with three children. The defense also requested a conditional sentence.
After considering the facts of the case, Magistrate Bangura found Coker not guilty on counts one, two, and four but found him guilty of malicious damage under count three.
The magistrate ruled that Coker is to pay a fine of 1,000 Leones or serve two years in prison. Additionally, Coker was ordered to pay 3,000 Leones as compensation to the complainant, Yusuf Kamara.