The High Court in Banjul yesterday convicted and sentenced Muhammed Carew and Modou Jaw to life imprisonment for robbery and to serve 14 years imprisonment with hard labour for conspiracy to commit robbery.
The convicts were also sentenced to serve seven years imprisonment with hard labour for the offence of attempted murder and another seven years imprisonment with hard labour for the offence of conspiracy to commit a felony.
All sentences are to run concurrently.
Justice M. Abdullahi in reading his judgment stated that the convicted persons were charged with four counts of a criminal offence, which they denied.
The prosecution called eight witnesses in support of their case, and tendered exhibits, while the convicted persons testified as a lone witnesses, he added.
The trial judge pointed out that several people were arrested in connection with this case, including the 1st accused person, adding that the SIM card, the mobile phone and the passport of the victim, Farid Bensouda, were recovered from the house of the 1st accused person by PW1and PW2, while conducting a search in the house.
He added that a knife, screw driver and the T-shirt with blood stains used by the 1st accused in the operation were also recovered.
The judge stated that in the course of the investigation, the 2nd accused person led the police to the house of the victim, and the Comium number used by the accused to call the Africell number of the victim was also recovered.
Justice Abdullahi further stated that there was enough evidence against the accused persons that they had a common intention to commit the offence.
He added that the evidence laid by the prosecution witnesses supported the charges against the accused persons, adding that he was satisfied that the prosecution had proven its case beyond all reasonable doubts.
He said exhibit D indicated how the victim was assaulted.
“I am satisfied that the prosecution had proven all the necessary ingredients of the offence,” the judge said, adding that he found the accused “guilty as charged”.
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