June 8, 2017 By Patrick Jaiah Kamara
Justice Ernest Gooding yesterday convicted and sentenced two men to thirteen years imprisonment, each after they pleaded guilty on the offense of robbery.
Saidu Dumbuya and Abu Bakarr Barrie were indicted in the High Court for carting away TV commercial motor bike and a bag from one Saidu Sulaiman Dumbuya in November, 2015.
Justice Gooding said the men initially pleaded not guilty to the offense but later changed their plea to guilty, after the testimony of the complainant.
The High Court judge said the convicts deceived the rider of being passengers and the complainant pillion both of them to Old Wharf- their alleged destination.
He said the complainant had told the court that when they arrived at their destination, they took another u-turn and told the ridder to take them to SLPMB, where they robbed him.
In his sentencing statement, Justice Gooding said the evidence of the complainant and the voluntary caution statements of the convicts were enough to conclude that the men committed the offence.
“Having meticulously followed the evidence, I am convinced that both convicts are dangerous criminals and should not be part of our society. I therefore sentence both to thirteen years imprisonment to be served at the Sierra Leone Correctional Centre in Freetown,” he ruled.
Earlier, defense counsel from the Legal Aid, Sonia Bobanie-Brown, told the Bench to temper justice with mercy as the convicts were first time offenders.
He said the men had shown remorse for their action and have not wasted the court’s time to answer to the charges.
The men were preliminarily investigated by Magistrate Mohamed Serray Wurie at the Ross Road Magistrate court before committing them to the High Court in April, 2016
According to the indictment, the men were before the court for Robbery contrary to subsection 2 of Section 23 of the Larceny Act of 1916
Saidu Dumbuya and Abu Bakarr Barrie on 10 November, 2015, in Freetown robbed Saidu Sulaiman Dumbuya of one TV motor bike valued Le5.2 million and a bag containing Le1,450,000 ,all to the total sum of Le6650,000.