August 25, 2021
By: Francis F. M. Harding
The Fourth Police Witness, former Pathologist Dr. Simeon Owiss Koroma, a medical officer and a specialist in forensic Pathology formally attached at the Connaught Kitchen Hospital and now attached to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Office of the Chief Medical Examiner as the Acting Chief Medical Examiner has testified before Justice Samuel O. Taylor at the High Court in Freetown on the 19th August, 2021.
The accused person Joseph Gbanie is standing trial for the murder of Jenneh Bonnie his girlfriend who was 34 years, a fair in completion woman and of New London, Leicester Street Village.
Testifying in court, (PW4) he said he performed both medical and hospital autopsy, and that he performed autopsy on the late Jenneh Bonnie on the 26th March, 2020.
Witness said upon completion of autopsy he deduced his findings of the autopsy into five pages and it was signed by him, and he later issued medical certificate for the cause of death to the relatives for proper burial and socio-economic arrangement for the deceased.
Witness said the deceased died on the 13th May, 2020 at the Connaught Hospital in Freetown and she was brought to the Connaught Hospital. Witness said she was manually strangulated and her bones were fracture, the neck was swollen and external bleeding occurred.
Under cross examination, defense Lawyer Lamin J. Kamara asked witness who told him that the deceased was admitted at the Connaught Hospital.
Are these records present to you before the autopsy examination was performed? Witness said no. Defense lawyer asked witness if he normally asked for medical report before an autopsy is performs. Witness said no but if need arises he will go there and collect it.
Defense lawyer asked witness how he knows that the deceased was admitted for neck fracture. Witness said it was from the medical report. Defense lawyer asked witness what is the full mile meter of an adult. Witness said 300 miles plus (+) or minus (-). Defense lawyer asked witness if the spinner cord was injured. Witness said yes.
Defense lawyer asked witness how long does it take for a strangulated person to die. Witness said it could be at an instant or any other time.
It could be recalled that the accused person Joseph Gbanie allegedly murder his girlfriend Jenneh Boinnie (now deceased) on the 26th March, 2020. The accused person is charged on one count of murder.
All the jurors were present that were panel for this case. The matter has been adjourned to the 26th August, 2021.