By Hafsatu Z Bangura
Saffinatu Bangura made her final appearance before Justice John Bosco Alieu of the high court No.1 in Freetown on the 30th March on one count charge of Murder. A ten (10) member jury unanimously returned a guilty verdict in respect of a one count indictment of murder.
According to the particulars of offence the accused Saffinatu Bangura on the 13th June 2018 at During town in the Western Area of the Republic of Sierra Leone murdered Rebecca Bangura.
Upon her arraignment the accused Saffinatu Bangura denied the allegations. The prosecution led in evidence a number of witnesses in support of their case.
Justice Alieu in his summoning up to the jurors said it is the burden of the prosecution to prove the case beyond reasonable doubt and should consider all the elements of proof of indictment by the prosecution.
He continued that the accused pleaded not guilty of the offence when the charges were read to her in court. That the accused was of sound mind and of good health; murder her step daughter, Rebecca Bangura.
Saffinatu is the step mother of the deceased Rebecca Bangura and she was a school going pupil aged 6 years. Saffinatu is the wife of Alie Bangura and father of the deceased child. The deceased lived with her grandmother Adama Koroma.
According to the testimonies of the father he said her wife Saffinatu Bangura dislike her daughter and that for peace to reign he had to take the deceased to live with her grandmother. The accused Saffinatu Bangura was not on speaking terms with the grandmother and that the accused visited the place but hardly visited the grandmother.
The accused in her voluntary caution statement to the police admitted that she gave gari (Gari is a creamy-white granular flour with a slightly fermented flavour and sour taste. It is produced from cassava tubers and eaten as a main meal with soup or a stew) to the deceased with a rat poison and gave it to the deceased to eat.
Sixth Prosecution witness (PW6) Dr. Simeon Owizz Koroma said the deceased according to the autopsy report died as result of manual strangulation with Finger nail marks on the neck of the Victim and a beaten tongue.
The accused denied the allegations of strangulating the child rather confessed that she bought the rat poison and placed it inside the gari and gave it to the deceased to eat. The accused is also a suckling mother to a 4 year old.
The accused was sentenced to life imprisonment by Justice John Bosco Alieu. The accused was represented by C.Tucker Esq from legal Aid Board whilst the state was represented by A. Jalloh Esq.
