By: Audrey Raymonda John
Justice Monfred Sesay has sentenced a 33 year old convict, Alpha Kamara to five year years imprisonment after pleading guilty to two counts of conspiracy and robbery.
He was discharged on count one, conspiracy. The total value of properties he stole NLE 8,496 (Eight thousand four hundred and ninety-six new Leones)
The convict’s plea to the offence happened after the indictment was amended by state prosecutor, Lawyer Aruna Jalloh at the Freetown High Court No.2 on the 17th November 2023.
Jalloh told the court during his synopsis of the circumstance of the crime tha on the evening hours of 13 January this year, the complainant, Cornelia Peters, was jogging along the Lumley Beach Road when the convict together with others robbed her pack bag, which contained properties like her IPhone and others off her.
The court learnt from the Jalloh that the convict and his colleague ran into the golf club and the complainant then alerted police at the nearest post, who then chased them and arrested the convict.
He however to noted that the one of the thieves escaped with the bag and its contents.
The prosecutor said the convict told the police upon his arrest that he was not among the thieves claiming that he went there to defecate.
Police then asked him to show them the feces, but he could not. From that point, he was taken to the Lumley Police Station where he was charged to court. Jalloh pleaded for five years.
Before handing down his sentenced the presiding judge asked the convict to address the court.
The convict told the court that what he did was a mistake and that it was caused by temptation. Responding to questions what led to the temptation, the convict casted the blame on God, but Justice Sesay refuted that excuse.
The presiding judge became angry with the convict who called him as “bra” during his plea of mercy. He said, “The convict has lost his plea of mercy by calling me “bra” ” and added “he has lost any iota of mercy I have for him.
In his plea mitigation, the Legal Aid Board Lawyer, Randy S. Bangura told the presiding judge that the convict was a first time offender of the law and that the convict has of one kid, whose long custodial sentence would affect the child’s life regarding his education and health.
The defence also pleaded that the convict’ plea of guilty to the offence has saved the court’s time and resources. He also told the court that the convict had already learnt his lesson during his over 10 months on remand in prison.
Bangura begged for a year sentence including the term already served.
On a separate issue, Justice Sesay also called on the state prosecutor to investigate the condition of food for the prisoners at the Maximum prison in Freetown, commonly known as Pademba Road Male Correctional Centre.