Medical Practitioner Testifies in William West Murder Case

Abdoulie Ceesay, a medical doctor attached to the Royal Victoria Teaching Hospital (RVTH), yesterday testified in the protracted murder trial involving Kate Atori West at the Brikama High Court before Justice Ngui Mboob-Janneh.

Dr. Ceesay is the Prosecution's 12th witness to testify against Kate Atori West, the Nigerian lady charged with the murder of her British husband, William West. The prosecution has opted to call seventeen witnesses to prove their case.

Kate Atori West is alleged to have caused the death of William Jarlath Aloyins West by hitting him with a pestle, on or about the 18th June 2006 at Sanyang village in Kombo South, Western Region.

In his testimony, Dr. Ceesay told the court that he is a medical practitioner with 32 years' experience working at the Accident and Emergency unit (A&E) of the RVTH.

He adduced that on the 25th July 2006 he was called to the RVTH mortuary where he found the fragmented skeleton of the deceased (William West) in a nylon bag with no internal organs. He said he carried a postmortem on him in the presence of a police officer and a lady he identified as Kate Atori West, the accused.

The postmortem report was tendered in court by the State counsel, Marley Wood, and was admitted without any objection from the defence.

Testifying further, Dr. Ceesay said that the postmortem revealed that the frontal bone was missing.

During cross-examination the defence counsel, Lamin Camara, asked Dr. Ceesay whether he knew when the deceased actually died, a question he replied in the negative. He further asked him if anybody could identify that body by looking at it, Dr Ceesay replied, "I cannot say."

"Were you told how the deceased died?" Lawyer Camara asked.

"I cannot tell," Dr. Ceesay replied.

At that juncture the case was adjourned to the 3rd of April 2009.