By: Audrey Raymonda John
The government Consultant pathologist Dr. Semion Owizz Koroma has before Justice Monfred Sesay described the death of Isha Saidu Hughes a former prison officer as unnatural and homicidal.
The accused Suliaman Conteh made another appearance yesterday before justice Monfred Sesay of the hight court in Freetown on one count of murder contrary to section 1 of the offenses against the persons Act 1861.
According to the indictments, the accused on Friday 14th July 2023, at No 6 A Savage Street Wellington murdered Isha Saidu Hughes.
Dr. Simeon Owizz Koroma led in evidence by state prosecutor Said he is a qualified medical pathologist
He said some of his duties includes the training of medical student, training of laboratory scientific officers and also train Sierra Leone Police scientific officers.
He said he performed both hospital and medical legal autopsy for Sierra Leone and all exhumations within Sierra Leone and West Africa countries.
Dr said on the 24 July 2023, he was at the ministry of internal affairs when he received a request from the Sierra Leone to performed an autopsy on the remains of one Isha Saidu Hughes.
He said withing the Connaught mortuary hospital, he conducted the postmortem examination in the presences of the following persons, relatives Mrs Cicelia Williams aunty to the deceased, the investigating officer DPC 17845 Koroma M attached to the CID HQ and SOCO officer.
On completion of the autopsy, he reduced his finding into postmortem report which has since been in his custody signed and dated by himself.
He said he issued the original medical certificate of the cause of death to the relatives for proper burial and photo copy to the the investigator for further investigation.
The Medical cause of death certificate was produce and tender marked as exhibit B.
Dr.Owizz said during his findings he discovered that the 45 years old deceased was a correctional service officer and that she died as a result of multiples stabbed wounds she sustained.
Clothing he said was removed at the time of the postmortem examination, adding that the deceased was 5ft 6inc, with body complete.
The deceased he said had truamatic brain injury, and that she was stabbed severally in the abdomen, there was lasiration in the left upper lip, with blood ozzing from the ears and nose trill which cause serious brain damaged.
The teeth he said were natural and complete, with no signs of decomposition.
He said the trunk shows stabbed wound in the under surface of the left breast, adding that the brain shows massive intercelelbra damage
There were no strangulation, the circk housing the heart he said was normal,the abdomen shows 7 multiple stabbed wounds and the intestines he saw was normal and the liver normal in size.
According to him, the medical history indicate that the deceased died instantly due to the stabbed wounds she received on her chest, with blunt force injury in the head.
He said there were no preexisting disease to caused her to collapse
He said the deceased sustain seven homicidal wounds on the general body.
In conclusion said the cause of death was unnatural and the manner or mode was brutal homicidal,due to to physical assault, blunt force injury and acute hemorrhagic shock which caused her to bleed profusely.
Dr. Owizz said the first thing he observed during the examination was the four homicidal stabbed wound on the abdomen, and the one on the body back.
Secondly the physical blunt force injury on the head and thirdly the acute homorragic shock that led to her death
The prosecution witnesses No 4 Detective Sergeant 8577 Alimamy Abu Kamara in his testimony also said he is an exhibits clerk attached to the Kissy police Barracks Freetown.
He said some of his duties are to received exhibits from police investigators for safe keeping and tender same when needed by the court.
On the 20th July 2023, he said he was on duty at the said station when DPC 17845 Koroma M came with the following items, one old Cutlass with black rubber handle with blood stains, one old hammer with wooden handle with blood stain, 1 kitchen knife with black handle, one old metal object with blood stain as exhibits
He said he collected them and entered them in the court exhibits book against serial number RCE 94/2023 which has since been in his custody.
The said exhibits were produce and tender in court respectively to form part of the evidence against the accused person.
PW5 Mohamed Koroma DPC 17845 in his testimony led by state counsel A Jalloh said he is attached to the CID Kissy police station Freetown.
He recognized the accused and recalled 14th July 2023.
He added that he was on duty when he received an information from D Sergeant 10227 Kamara M a police officer attached at Approved School police post.
Upon receipt of the information, he said himself D sgt 10641 Kamara I, Scene Of Crime Officer and other police officers left the station for the scene of crime.
He said on their arrival, at the scene, they met the accused lying on the floor with wound on his stomach and blood ozzing from him.
He said they discovered blood stains from where he was lying into the bathroom where they discovered the deceased lying naked with multiples wounds on her body.
Blood he said was ozzing from the wounds, adding he called her name several times but she did not respond and was lying motionless.
The witness furthered that he discovered a hammer, Cutlass, knife and a sharp metla instrument inside their kitchen.
The accused he said was rush to the Emergency hospital for medical treatment and the deceased to the Connaught mortuary for postmortem examination.
He said he brought the said items to the station and handed it over to the exhibits clerk for safe keeping.
Prior to that, he said the SOCO took photos of the scene.
On the 15th July 2023, he said statement were obtained from complaints and witnesses seperatly.
On 24 July 2023, a postmortem examination he said was conducted in his presence, the SOCO and relatives on the remains of the deceased Isha Saidu Hughes, adding that at the conclusion of the postmortem examination, the cause of death certificate was issued to him.
The witness in addition said on the 25fh July 2023, he went to the Kingtom police hospital where the accused was responding to treatment and he obtained statement from him in respect of the deceased Isha Saidu Hughes.
On the 11 August 2023, he said he charged the accused with the offence of murder
The prosecution has closed their case the matter was adjourned to November 15th 2023.
