…Witness says
By Alimatu Jalloh
One Hawanatu Koroma has testified before Magistrate Sahr Kekura of Pademba Road court No.1 that Mohamed Mansaray, the accused allegedly wounded him.
The accused person was making his first appearance before Magistrate Sahr Kekura, at Pademba Road where he was arraigned on three charges, which include Wounding with Intent.
According to the particular of offense on count one and two, on Saturday 23rd December 2023 at first bridge Gloucester Village Freetown in the Mountain Rural District, wounded Hawanatu Koroma with intent to do her grievous bodily harm.
It was also alleged on count two that on the above date and place the accused person Mohamed mansaray assaulted Hawanatu Koroma in a manner which caused her actual bodily harm.
The witness Hawanatu Koroma testified that in the matter. She started by first identifying herself as a business woman. He told the court that he recognized the accused person and recalled that on the 23rd of December, 2023 when she went to sell carpet with her four children, the accused called her on the pretext that he wanted to bargain and buy the carpet from her. She said that as she approached him, the accused person asked for the price of the said carpet, and she responded that some cost NLe350 and others NLe 300 respectively.
She furthered that the accused had wanted to negotiate the price but she told him that the prices were fixed.
“when I told him that he said if I don’t know that it’s the government of Maada Bio and I said that is not why am here if you want to buy carpet buy let me go” she said.
The witness said upon saying those words the accused entered his shop and brought out one packet of pure water and sprayed it on her face, and as he (the accused) did one of her children said “why did you do that. She added that the accused didn’t say anything, but returned inside his shop entered his shop and re-emerged with four iron rods tied with binding wire, and with it hit her on the head, causing her to bleed.
She went on to say that when her daughter cried out for help, the accused ran after her, which caused her to restrain the accused by holding onto him so that she could not harm her child.
She said that she in a short while lost consciousness, but later woke-up at the Connaught Hospital adding that she was bleeding heavily. She said that the doctor stitched her eleven times and issued a medical report herself together with her children, and they later made a report at FBC Police Post.
At this juncture defense lawyer T.W. Davies applied for bail on behalf of the accused person but Magistrate Sahr kekura refused to admit the aused person to bail, and sent him to the Male Correctional Center in Freetown and adjourned the matter to the 8th of February, 2024 for further hearing.