Accused Hassan Murray alias Sani is charged with the offence of Murder contrary to the offences against the Person Act of 1861. The State alleged that the accused person slit Sia Matu Yobah’s throat on 17 July 2017.
Recapitulating the accused person’s statement to the police when the allegation of murder was leveled against him at the Hill Top Police Station, he told one of the investigating police officers, Detective Police Inspector Michael Ponjo Boima that he used a knife which he normally use to pill mango to murder Sia Matu Yoba.
He further told the police that on 17th July 2o17, he was standing at the Old School Complex gate when the deceased approached him and requested for medicine, adding that he gave six tablets to the deceased before she crept into his apartment at Hill Station in the west part of Freetown.
According to the accused person the deceased Sia Matu Yobah had a swollen throat at the time she met him at the Old School Complex gate to request for medicine.
The accused person Hassan Murray alias Sani also informed the police that after he had killed Sia Matu Yobah, he abandoned her remains at his apartment. He added that some time later he was attacked by some tenants occupying the same building who asked him whether he was not getting any stench from his apartment.
Detective Police Inspector Michael Ponjo Boima intimated the court that during the course of investigation of the murder of Sia Matu Yobah the accused person Hassan Murray alias Sani informed them that after he had slit the throat of the deceased, he placed the said brown knife under the deceased head.
In his testimony, the second prosecution witness, Detective Police Sergeant George James Bellia stated that he recognized the accused person and recalled the incident of 22 July 2017.
He went on to say that on the said date he was on duty at the Hill Top Police Station, when the accused person was arrested and brought into the station on allegation of murder, after which he obtained a contemporaneous interview statement from the accused person.
The witness testified that the accused person, Hassan Murray alias Sani was cautioned and questioned in Krio, which was recorded in English, and that at the conclusion of the interview statement, it was read and explained to him in Krio, which the accused person admitted to be true and correct by affixing his right hand thumb print.
He said that the accused person was not placed under any duress to make a statement to the police and was also given comfort, food and water and that the accused person made a statement to the police on his own volition.
The State was represented by Kabba Conteh, while the accused person, Hassan Murray alias Sani was defended by Barrister C. Tucker from the Legal Aid Board.
Hon. Justice John Bosco Allieu adjourned the matter to 3rd December this year.
In another development, Hon. Justice John Bosco Allieu of the High Court of Sierra Leone has restored the bail condition to one David Sesay, who is charged together with husband and wife Demoh Bangura and Shollay Val Renner.
They are alleged to have murdered Patrick Bangura alias Junior at his 7K Upper Tengbeh Town back in 2016; kept his remains in a freezer in the apartment of the first accused person, Demoh Bangura and later dumped his remains in a pit latrine at the said evidence.
When the matter was initially charged to court, the third accused person, David Sesay was granted bail in the sum of two hundred and fifty million Leones, including one surety in like sum and the bail condition was approved by the Master and Registrar, before it was later withdrawn.
The first prosecution witness, Safiatu Bangura was conspicuously absent in court for cross- examination by the defense lawyers when the matter was mentioned, thus urging the presiding judge to invoke Section (94) Act No. (32) of the Criminal Procedure Act of 1965 of the laws of Sierra Leone by restoring David Sesay’s bail.
The presiding Judge, Hon. Justice John Bosco Allieu ordered that the two accused persons, Demoh Bangura and her husband, Shollay Val Renner be returned to the maximum state detention centre in the west end of Freetown.
The matter comes up again on 3rd December 2018.
