Lyndon Thomas a Sierra Leonean photographer made his first appearance before Magistrate Santigie Bangura of Pademba Road Court No.2 on three count charges.

The accused was arraigned for robbery with aggravation contrary to section 23 (1) (a) of the Larceny Act 1916 as repealed and replaced by section 2 of act No.16 of 1971, wounding contrary to section 20 of the Offences Against the Persons Act 1861 and assault occasioning actual bodily harm contrary to section 27 of the Offences Against the Persons Act 1861.

According to the particulars of offence, on Sunday, 16th February, 2025, at Waterloo in the Western Rural District of Freetown being armed with a syringe, the accused robbed Joseph Thoronka of one motorbike with registration number ASZ 735 valued sixteen thousand leones (NLe16,000), one Techno Pop 2 mobile phone valued two thousand five hundred  leones ( NLe2,500) and the sum of five hundred and forty leones (NLe540) all to the total value of nineteen thousand and forty leones (NLe19,040) at the same time, immediately before such robbery did use personal violence on Joseph Thoronka.

Count two indicated that the accused on the same date and place maliciously wounded Joseph Thoronka.

Count three furthered that the accused on the same date and place, assaulted Joseph Thoronka in a manner thereby occasioning him actual bodily harm.

When the charges were read and put to the accused person, no plea was taken.

Assistant Commissioner of Police Joan M.S. Bull led in prosecution witness number two Isatu Baimba who said she did not recognize the accused person but knows the complainant in the matter. She recalled on 16th February, 2025 on the above date she was sleeping inside her house when she heard someone crying which she said prompted her to open her door and went outside and met the complainant about 11am to 12pm and met the complainant laying on the ground crying.

“I didn’t go closer to him. At the same time, my landlord and his wife also came out and approached the PW1 and enquired what happened. “That gave me the courage to get closer to PW1. He was crying bitterly saying “Bad man” has killed him,” she narrated.

She added that her landlord then told her that PW1 was a thief. “For the fact that he had been mercilessly beaten and without footwear, he is a thief so let sent him away,” she quoted the landlord to have said. The witness said she objected to that request, insisting that they should allow him to talk to them.

Isatu said PW1 told them that he was not a bad person and that his name was Joseph. She said she asked him where he came from before going to that place and told her he came from Murray town. Isatu told the court that another girl, Margret at the scene said we should drive him away.

The witness furthered that PW1 again told that he was not a bad person and gave her his mother and brother’s numbers to call and confirm. “We called the mother, but they were both switched off. My landlord got impatient insisting that the man was a thief and that we should drive him away,” the witness stated. The witness told the court that her landlord then suggested taking him to law people but she told him that post office was far away unless they take him to the soldiers at the Range.

She said when they arrived, she knocked and a soldier came out. “I told them that I saw the PW1 at a place crying without a cloth and he was not walking properly. I saw him near my door. I then told the soldier that PW1 told me he was a bike rider and claimed that a man called “bad man don kill am” and took him where people met him. The witness further explained that the soldier told her that she should sent the man away and go back to where he came from, adding that that was how we encourage thieves.

She said then returned, but whilst on their way her colleagues told her that PW1 should not follow them. She said the man told her to keep mother’s number he earlier gave her maybe he could not see her mother again. “I then took him to my house where he slept over,” she added.

“In the morning I took care of him, gave him first aid treatment. I bought him pain medicines and tea leaf water because he was crying claiming that he was hit with sticks all over his body,” she furthered.

She said she later tried his mother and brothers’ numbers, at that time their phones were switched on. She said she explained to them what happened. I asked him to explain that happened the previous day.

I asked him if he knows Waterloo, he responded that he only passed by, but he does not know Waterloo more.

He said one “Bad man” hired him to Waterloo. He said at about 5 to 6pm, when they were at Post office, the very “Bad man” was making phone calls, but every time he makes call, he will move away from him. After he had given me that detailed explanation about what Bad man” did, he then stepped over for a while to a point that he became afraid. When he woke up, he went to urinate where he told me that he urinate blood. She later made statements to the police.

Counsel representing the accused T. Foday Musa Esq. renewed and adopted her previous bail application on behalf of the accused. Meanwhile, Magistrate Bangura refused bail and sent the accused person to the male correctional facility in Freetown and matter adjourned to the 19th May, 2025.