The Particulars of Offence state that the three accused persons murdered Patrick Bangura alias Junior way back 2016 at his No.7K Upper Tengbeh Town residence in the in the Freetown Judicial District in the Western Area of the Republic of Sierra Leone.
Led in evidence by the State Prosecutor Joan Bull, the first prosecution witness, Safiatu Bangura testified that she recognized the first accused person, Demoh Bangura as her sister, and also recognized the second accused person Shollay Val Renner as husband to the first accused person.
She informed the court that she is a Police officer attached at Youyi Building Police Post, Broofields in Freetown.
She further explained that she also recognized the third accused person as her uncle and that the deceased Patrick Bangura alias Junior was her step brother.
The witness recalled the incident of 26th March 2016, and that on the date in question, she realized that the deceased went missing and that after several searches she together with the deceased person’s wife and relatives could not trace him.
Following the alleged sudden disappearance of the deceased, the witness went on to inform the court that they made announcement at the Sierra Leone Broadcasting Corporation about the disappearance.
“We did the announcement even over ‘We Yus’ and further reported the matter at the Congo Cross Police Division in Freetown.
Court evidence reveals that Detective Police Constable Safiatu Bangura narrated that the deceased was constructing a house at the said residence N0: 7K Upper Tegbeh Town, and that since the deceased started construction the house, he became a target of aggression from the first accused person, Demoh Bangura and that the latter’s husband who is the second accused, Shollay Val Renner is also accused.
According to the witness, the first accused person and the second accused person even threatened and warned the deceased that if his step brother had no right to construct a structure at the said land, he too has no right.
The witness went on to inform the court that since the first accused person Demoh Bangura and her husband Shollay Val Renner who is the second accused person subjected the deceased Patrick Bangura alias Junior to several threats and discomfort, he decided to hand over the property in question together with Title Deeds to the third accused person, David Sesay for safe custody.
As a result, the witness said the deceased and other relatives informed their uncle Sani Sesay, the then Deputy Head of the Criminal Investigation Department Headquarter at Pademba Road in Freetown.
She further narrated that Sani Sesay convened a meeting at his residence at Grafton for the deceased, the three accused persons and other relatives, where the third accused person, David Sesay was to produce the said Title Deeds, but he never did.
The witness also disclosed that another meeting was scheduled to take place at the residence of Sani Sesay the following Sunday, but that it was during this period that the deceased Patrick Bangura alias Junior went missing.
His remains were found in a local pit latrine on 11th April 2016 at the same residence.
Detective Police Constable Safiatu Bangura told the court that when police search the apartment of the first accused person Demoh Bangura and her husband Shollay Val Renner, they found five empty rice bags with thick blood stains in their freezer, human hair with kerosene rubbers.
She concluded that the first accused Demoh Bangura was arrested together with her Shollay Val Renner who was about to flee the jurisdiction of Sierra Leone.
The first accused person Demoh Bangura was represented by Barrister Ishmael Philip Mammie, whilst the second accused person’s husband, Shollay Val Renner and the third accused person David Sesay were defended by Lawyer C. Tucker from the Legal Aid Board.
The matter comes up again on Monday 29 October 2018.
