By: Audrey Raymonda John
27 years old Feimata Junisa was arraigned before Magistrate Santigie Bangura of Pademba road court No.3 in Freetown on three count charges of Wounding Contrary to Section 20 of the offences against the person Act 1861, Assault on police contrary to section 39 of the Criminal procedure Act No.32 of 1964 and resisting police Arrest contrary to section 39 of the police Act No.7 of 1964.
According to the particulars of offence on Tuesday 5th September 2023 at Somalia Town the western area in Freetown, the accused maliciously wounded Safie Conteh; on count two at the same place and date the accused person assaulted Detective Sergeant 9527 Conteh S and on count three at the above date and the accused person resisting police arrest.
Led in evidence by Sergeant 9185 Dwight Macarthy third prosecution witness (PW3) Dpc 14086 Juliana Ella Coker attached to Central Police Station recognized the accused person and stated she knows the complainant as a colleague at the same Station.
She said on the 5th September 2023 the OPS officer at Central division called them to execute a warrant at Somalia Town. She said they onboard SLP 318 to the said place were they met the accused person locked inside her house. The police witness further stated that they knocked the door off the accused person but she refused to open. She said they pleaded with her to open the door peacefully for them and go to the station but to no avail.
Explaining further, she said after some minutes they saw the mother of the accused person which the search warrant was handed over to. The OSD police officer said later they enter the house of the accused person and saw her carrying a three years old child on her back. The witness said they try to hand over the child to the mother but she refused and they ended putting the child on the floor and took the accused person onboard the same vehicle and went to the station. She said she later made statement about what happened at the crime scene.
The accused person was unrepresented while her bail continues.
Magistrate Bangura adjourned the matter to the 29th October 2023 for further hearings.