They were alleged to have murder Hannah Bockarie on 13th August 2016 and deposited her remains at the Aberdeen Beach in the far west of Freetown.

Led in evidence by State Counsel A. Conteh the witness told the court that she is a hairdresser and had known the deceased for a very long time.

She only recognized the 1^st accused and recalled the incident of 13 August 2017, stating that on that day she went to the Lumley Beach with the deceased in the evening hours of the following day to the alleged murder, but later part company with the deceased and went home.

According to the witness, she returned to Lumley Beach and enquired from a lady called Fatmata about the deceased, but she was told that Hannah and friends had left for a bar called Meltina.

She further narrated that she decided to go to the then popular bar called at Aberdeen Beach, where she met Fatmata again , adding that when she enquired from Fatamat about the whereabouts of the deceased, Fatmata told her that Hannah was in the company of the 1^st accused person.

The witness explained further that since it was getting to 3 O’clock in morning hours of the alleged murder of the deceased, she saw some of her friends moving towards Family Kingdom and decided to join them.

On our way to Family Kingdom, Sherita Jabbie said police night patrol team was chasing them and that, she ran together with her friends Wata and they hid themselves near the 1^st accused Mohamed Lamin Kamara resort at the Aberdeen Beach.

Sheriat Jabbie informed the court that whiles they were hidden close to the 1^st accused resort, she had the voice of the deceased screaming and saying ‘you are killing me , you are killing me’, stressing that she immediately told her friend that the voice resembles the voice of Hannah, but her friend Wata said she was drunk.

Later, the witness continued that after sometimes she could not hear the voice of the deceased and while she was trying to leave the scene, she saw the 1st accused coming out of his resort in a frightened posture and was wearing a black t-shit.

“I was afraid but managed to escape the alleged scene of crime and arrived at Family Kingdom, where she met one Mr. Gandi and explained to him what she had experienced at the 1^st accused person’s resort,” Sherita Jabbie explains.

The witness also testified that Mr. Gandi did not treat what she had observed and she went home, stating that in the morning hours of 13 August 2015, she received information that somebody was killed at the Aberdeen Beach, but did not go to the scene of crime because she afraid and police officers were interrogating people in connection to the alleged murder.

She disclosed that some days later, Mr. Gandi reported the matter at the Aberdeen Police Division and police officers later apprehended her before obtaining voluntary caution statement from her, following which she was whisked to the Criminal Investigation Department Headquarters in Freetown, where statement was also obtained from her.

During cross examination by Counsel representing both accused persons, Ishmeal Philip Mammie, the witness responded that throughout her testimony she was very truthful to the court and had known the deceased for a very long time.

She further responded that following the alleged murder of Hannah Bockarie, she was arrested and made statement to the police, adding that there light in front of the accused resort and also spotted the 1^st accused coming out of his resort in frightened mood wearing black t-shit.

Lawyer Mammie tendered in evidence the voluntary caution statement of the 1^st accused through the witness, but the State Prosecutor A. Conteh quickly raised an objection on the grounds that, the  defense Counsel should not use the prosecution witness to tender such document, as it was procedurally wrong and a bad precedent in law.

After listening to the submissions of both the prosecution and the defense, the presiding Judge Justice John Bosco Allieu ruled that the said voluntary caution statement of the witness should not be tendered by the same witness.

Justice Allieu’s ruling was in consonance with the Criminal Procedure Act of 1965, instead of 1865 Criminal Procedure Act which the defense Counsel, Ishmeal Philip Mammie had earlier cited as an authority to back his argument.

The matter was adjourned to Monday 23rd October 2017.