By Mohamed Foday Conteh
State Pathologist, Dr. Simeon Owizz Koroma has testified at the High Court in Freetown that Sholade Jones, 26, was killed with a blunt object that resembled a baseball bat or a big stick.
Dr. Koroma was testifying against Abilola Lionel Jones and Gifty Jones who were arraigned in court on one and two count charges. Both accused who were brother and sister to the deceased were charged with conspiracy to commit a murder and murder contrary to the laws of Sierra Leone.
According to the particulars of offence, the two accused were said to have conspired with other unknown persons on Saturday 29th April 2017 to murder their brother, Sholade at Hastings in the Western Rural District of Sierra Leone. Both Abilola and Gifty denied the allegations for which they were arraigned.
The pathologist told Justice Ivan Sesay that he was the one that performed a post-mortem examination on request of the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) and Coroner of Freetown on Sholade on the 9th May 2017 –two days after his death.
He said that he performed the said post-mortem in the presence of the Investigating Officer, Detective Police Constable (DPC) 13926 Koroma O W, and the Scene of Crime Officer (SOCO) DPC 10620 Koroma M. both attached to the Kissy Police Station. Dr. Koroma said that one Ekundayo Williams, relative of the deceased was also present during the examination.
The pathologist said that Sholade died a week later following a severe physical assault specifically on his neck. He said that the examination revealed that the deceased had not suffered any previous health condition which could have resulted in his death.
He said that Sholade died from a blunt force fracture of his neck causing a dislocation of the cervical (neck) vertebrae. He added that two to seven neck vertebrae were fractured. He stated that it was a miracle for Sholade to have lived for weeks before his death.
Dr. Koroma said that the result indicated that Sholade’s death was unnatural. He noted that his death was homicidal.
State Prosecutor, Jesse Tucker informed the judge that the pathologist was the last witness for the prosecution and that the end of his testimony to be the end of his case.
It is on record that sometime in April 2017, in what seemed to be a family feud, in Hastings at the Western Area Rural District, the first accused Abilola allegedly attacked Sholade with a stick which he allegedly used to hit him on his neck.
The Second accused, Gifty was also said to have conspired with the first accused to murder Sholade. Gifty, in her testimony to the police, said that she and Sholade were not on speaking terms and that it was as a result of an incident between his son, Salami and the said deceased.
Justice Sesay adjourned the matter to the 14th October 2021 with the defence lawyer, Cecilia Tucker to begin her defence for the two accused persons.
Copyright © Politico Online 08/10/21
