By Mohamed J Kargbo
Raymond Kamara, a 25-year-old student at Fourah Bay College, appeared before Magistrate Santigie Bangura of Pademba Road Court No. 1 in Freetown, facing three charges: wounding with intent to murder, wounding, and assault occasioning actual bodily harm, all under the Offences against the Person Act 1861.
According to the prosecution, on Sunday, May 19, 2024, at No. 1 Conteh Drive, No. 2 River Village in the Western Rural Area of Freetown, Kamara allegedly wounded Ishmael Conteh with intent to murder. The charges further state that Kamara maliciously wounded and assaulted Conteh, causing actual bodily harm.
When the charges were read and explained to the accused, he did not enter a plea.
Sergeant 8811 Hannah Kamara, a resident of No. 2 River and a student, testified in court. She stated that she knew the complainant, Ishmael Conteh, as a friend and had seen the accused in their neighborhood.
Sergeant Kamara recalled the events of May 19, 2024. She was at home braiding the victim’s hair when she heard Adama White outside, verbally abusing them and threatening that the accused, upon his return from church, would deal with them both.
During the argument, the accused returned and joined in, hitting the victim on the chest with a stone, causing him to fall. The victim stood up and ran to the veranda, but the accused chased him, causing the victim to fall again.
Despite the victim’s pleas for mercy, the accused ignored him and stabbed him with a barbecue fork. Kamara testified that the accused attempted a second stabbing, but was stopped by a man named Mohamed, who took the accused away. By then, the victim was bleeding profusely.
The victim’s father arrived at the scene, took him to the hospital, and later reported the incident to the Lumley Police Station, where the witness also gave a statement.
During cross-examination by H. Kamara, the defense renewed a previous bail application, which Magistrate Bangura denied. The accused was remanded to the Male Correctional Facility in Freetown.
The case was adjourned to July 11, 2024, for further hearings.
