By: Mohamed Sahr
Honourable Justice Adrian Fisher of the High Court of Sierra Leone remanded 21-years-old Tejan Dickson (first accused person) for laughing as a symbol of disrespect to the court proceedings on Wednesday 6th September 2023.
According to the particulars of offence, Tejan Dickson and Dora Hassanatu Kamara on 16th February 2019 at Freetown in the Western Area of the Republic of Sierra Leone wounded Linda Macauley with intent to do her grievous bodily harm. Count one of the statement of offence was wounding with intent, contrary to Section 18 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861. Count two statement of offence stood the same as Wounding with Intent contrary to Section 18 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861. However, count three and four of the statement of offence hinged on assault occasioning actual bodily harm contrary to Section 47 of the offences against person Act of 1861. Whereas, count five provided for malicious damage contrary to Section 51 of the Malicious Damage Act 1861.
The particulars of offence for count five stated that Tejan Dickson, Fatmata Mamayo Conteh, Edison Kabia, Isata Kabia, Dora Hassanatu Kamara, Abubakarr Sesay and Christian Sheriff Koroma on 16th February 2019 at Freetown in the Western Area maliciously damaged one wall switch valued thirty thousand Leones, two speaker boxes valued one million five hundred thousand Leones, one leader DVD player valued one hundred and ninety thousand Leones, five window glasses each valued seventeen thousand Leones, all valued eighty-five thousand Leones. Twenty sheet of zinc valued three hundred and fifty thousand Leones and one glass table valued five hundred thousand Leones with a total valued of four million one hundred and fifty-five thousand Leones property of John Mamadu Kargbo.
The statement of offence for count six axed on throwing missiles contrary to Section 6 of the Public Order Act of 1965, Act no. 46 of 1965. That said, Tejan Dickson and six others were found throwing missiles at the residence of John Mamadu Kargbo.
When testifying, State Counsel Solomon Christian Kekura Esq informed that court that even though the seven accused persons were asked to go and resolve their matter outside court setting and equally compensate the aggrieved party with an initial amount of eight hundred thousand Leones that which was initially agreed by Justice Fisher, Tejan Dickson and six other reluctantly refused to pay the money.
Defence Counsel Ibrahim Bangura Esq emphasized that they had already called up the matter to be settled at home; owing to the fact that the seven accused persons and the complainants were neighbours.
Justice Fisher made a stern warning that any of the two parties who intervene with the process would be jailed. He doubled the compensation fee to two million old Leones.
It was on this ground that Tejan Dickson abruptly laughed whiles in the dock in front of Justice Fisher and he immediately sent Tejan Dickson to remand for disrespecting the court proceedings. He granted bail to the six accused persons and matter adjourned to Friday 8th September 2023.
