By Audrey Raymonda John

Prosecution witness (PW) 2, Ibrahim Sesay residing at No.35c Maxwell Hastings on the outskirts of Freetown, yesterday in his evidence before Magistrate Sahr Kekura said the accused namely Abu Sankoh Alias Delta and Suliaman P. Bangura and his men violently attached him while leaving his brother with a fracture leg.

He further disclosed that the incident occurred on Saturday 26th November 2022 between Hastings and New York on the outskirts of Freetown.

In continuation of his testimony, he said he knew the complainant, Abdul Salam Sesay, as his elder brother who happens to be PW1.

He said he recognized the accused as his neighbours and could recall on Saturday 26th November 2022.

The witness said he and his elder brother went to their piece of land located between Pump Line and New York.

Mr Sesay said while they were at Pump Line he saw the second accused with some boys headed by the first accused Abu Sankoh who rushed and started assaulting them.

‘The accused and their men were well armed with machetes and assaulted me. I felt a heavy pain over my body and when I turned around, I saw my brother bleeding profusely. When I  attempted to go there, the second accused blocked my way there,’ the witness disclosed to the court.

He added that the first complainant was screaming and saying that the first accused had chopped off part of his body him.

To make matters worse, he said one of the accused’s men Isaa Funnily known as American, hit his one of brother’s feet with a stone leaving him helpless with a fracture leg.

PW said the accuse and his gangs fled the crime scene , but were given a hot chase by some boys. And subsequently, the second accused was captured and taken to the Hastings Police Station where he was issued with a police medical request form for treatment at the Rokupa Government Hospital in Wellington Freetown.

The endorsed medical paper was produced and tendered for identification.

The witness concluded his evidence that he made a statement at Hastings police station.

During the cross examination hearing by defence counsel Alie Santos Sesay, the counsel put it to the witness that he would agree with him that there was quarrel between him and the accused and to which he responded in the affirmative.

Lawyer Sesay suggested to the witness that the fight over the land in question was what had provoked the conflict between them and accused.

The witness answered in the negative.

The counsel further put it to the witness that he and the first complainant on that day went to the said place with some boys, but the accused answered in the negative.

The Lawyer asked the witness if he could tell the number of boys allegedly the second accused was leading.

But he responded that he couldn’t remember.

He confronted the witness that in his evidence chief, he told the court that he made a statement to the police to, which he responded in the affirmative.

At this juncture lawyer Sesay applied for the second complainant’s statement be made to the police to be produced and tendered pursuant to section 190 (2) of the Criminal Procedure Act No 32 of 1965 and which was granted.

The accused arraigned before the court for the offences of wounding with intent, wounding and assault occasioning actual bodily harm contrary to  law.

It was alleged that the accused, on the same date and place on the outskirts of Freetown, wounded and assaulted Abdul Salam Sesay in a manner thereby causing him grievous bodily harm.

The charge sheet further stated that the accused on the same date and address in Hastings assaulted Ibrahim Sesay in a manner thereby causing him grievous bodily harm.

The accused persons are still on bail and the matter was adjourned to 22nd August 2023.