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William West Murder Case Resumes

Feb 13, 2009, 5:14 AM | Article By: Modou Sanyang

The murder trial involving Kate Aforri-West yesterday continued at the Banjul High Court before Justice NaCeesay Salla-Wadda.

The accused Kate Afforri-West was alleged to have murdered her late husband William West, a British National.

According to Justice Naceesay Salla-Wadda, she had not got the opportunity to hear the witnesses and to see their demeanour and therefore suggested that if the parties on the case agreed, the case could start again.

State Counsel Marley Wood for her part told the court that some of the prosecution witnesses were from the UK and had since returned to their native country.

She therefore suggested for the record of proceedings to be typed since there were many Judges who sat on the case, instead of the case to start afresh again. She therefore applied for the court to order the record of proceedings to be typed.

She said that the case had an international dimension, as the deceased was a British National. She said 11 witnesses had so far testified in the case and the prosecution had five more witnesses to call.

Lawyer Lamin Camara, representing the accused person, disagreed with the state counsel's statement that the case has an international dimension. According to him it was a murder case that happened like any other murder case within the jurisdiction. He also added that his worry for the case to start afresh was that it would take another couple of years.

The court later ordered the record of proceedings to be typed for the case to continue from where it stopped.

Hearing on the murder case started since 20th February 2007.

The case was then adjourned until 4th March 2009.