Accused handed mandatory sentence

One Famara Bajinka was on Friday 16th April 2010 convicted and sentenced by magistrate Nying of the Kanifing Magistrates' Court to a mandatory jail term of eight months for assault causing grievous bodily harm.

The court also ordered the convict to compensate the complainant with D40, 000.

According to magistrate Nying, the police prosecutor, ASP Sanneh, in narrating the facts, stated that it happened on 31st December 2008, when the convict engaged in a fight with the complainant, Abdoulai Njie.

She added that the prosecutor further narrated that the complainant followed the accused to his compound, all the while abusing him.

Subsequently, the accused came with a cutlass, chopped off the complainant's left hand.

The convict in his plea of mitigation begged the court to temper justice with mercy.

He announced that he is 25 years old, and is married with a child who is seven years old.

In passing sentence, magistrate Nying stated that the court had considered the convict's plea for mercy.

This coupled with the fact that he did not waste the time of the court will make the court to temper justice with mercy, she added.

The magistrate revealed that the convict had ran away to avoid further violence.

However, the court must take into consideration the serious nature of the matter, since the complainant is permanently handicapped, she pointed out.