The state Counsel lawyer O. V. Robbin Mason prosecuting the alleged murder of Sonia Mary Thomas involving Elizabeth Mande Judith Kanu has on Thursday 24 February 2022 closed the case for the prosecution after leading the eighth prosecution witness in court.
The accused Elizabeth Mande Judith Kanu is arraigned before Magistrate SahrKekura of Pademba Road court No 1 on preliminary investigation into the alleged murder of Sonia Mary Thomas.
According to the indictment, it was alleged that the accused on Monday 6 September 2021 at UNIMAK campus Fatima Hostel Makeni murdered Sonia Mary Thomas.
The prosecution witness No 8 Dr Patrick U. Turay led in evidence by state Counsel O. V Robbin Mason said he is a physician and a medical doctor at the Holy Spirit Hospital Makeni.
In further evidence he said that on the 6th of September 2021, whiles on duty at the said hospital, he was called to the emergency room 8.50 pm in respect of the deceased.
He said that on his arrival the victim now deceased was given a cardiac massage by the nurses that were in the room, noting that when given cardiac massage it means that the patient is in critical condition or coma and that they were trying to resuscitate the person back to life. He added that he could not record the victim’s blood temperature because her vital signs were absent.
Dr. Turay further informed the court that he was the one that examined the victim now (deceased).
He noted that if one cannot record the vital signs in a patient, there must be a reason, of which one is cardiac arrest, traumatic attack or infectious disease. “I could not pin point specifically with regards to this particular patient (deceased) the reason why the vital signs were absent,” he said. He said after examining the patient, they continuedresuscitating the deceased on oxygen for about 30 minutes but there was no responses and about 10:00 pm he confirm her dead.
He said because he could not ascertain the cause of death, he involved the police and official of the University who recommended that a postmortem examination to assert the cause of death be conducted . He added that it was the very first time he came across the patient as he did not know her medical status, adding that if he could have known he could have ascertained the cause of her death and that was the reason he alerted the police for postmortem examination. He said that the deceased had been brought by officials of the University and some friends.
The medical report of the deceased was produced and tender in court as exhibit K. Whiles defense counsel was cross examining the witness; Dr. Turay said that when he came to the hospital he met certain people whom he believedwere representative of the University. He confirmed that he was at the emergency room before he came to the hospital and that he met the nurses doing cardiac massage on the deceased. He also revealed that when the victim was brought to the Hospital her vital signs were not active. He said he examined the deceased and confirmed that what the nurses had written was consistent with his findings. When he was asked whether the vital signs could only be there when the heart is functioning well, he replied that the vital signs are a combination of parameters of the blood pressure, temperature, and therefore he could not hold on one parameter and say that the heart was not functioning. He confirmed that cardiac massage is done to assist the heart to function well. At this juncture the prosecution closed it case; noting said there were other witnesses which they intend to lead. Lawyer Jessie Jengo requested for the case to be adjourned for two weeks to do his cross examination. The matter was however adjourned to the 3rd of March 2022.
By Alimatu Jalloh