By Bruce Asemota
The Court of Appeal, presided over by Justice Amina S-Ceesay, Justice S Wada-Cisse and Justice V Wright has dismissed an appeal filed by one Modou Sonko against his conviction and sentence of death penalty.
Sonko was tried and convicted of the murder of one Pa David Demba by hitting him with a stick on the head.
The appellant had denied killing the deceased. Not satisfied by the verdict at the lower court, Sonko filed an appeal.
Delivering judgement in the Court of Appeal Justice V Wright disclosed that the appellant raised ten grounds of appeal against his conviction and sentence arguing that the conviction and sentence is not supported by the weight of the evidence before the court.
But the Appeals court judge further said the trial judge that presided over the murder trial in the lower court had assessed the manner and totality of the evidence including eye witness evidence of PW3 who saw the appellant hit the deceased with a stick.
The Appeals Court also disclosed that the trial judge had properly considered all the elements of self defence argument put forward by the accused and the court did not see any error in the trial judge’s assessment and findings and therefore all the grounds of appeal raised by the appellant failed in their entirety.
The court accordingly dismissed the appeal and confirmed the conviction and sentence of the High Court.
