By Bruce Asemota
The high court in Banjul presided over by Justice Ebrima Jaiteh has sentenced one Foday Jatta, a resident of Dippa Kunda in the Kanifing municipality to death after he was convicted of the murder of one Yusupha Tabally.
The prosecution proved that on 20 July 2021, which happened to be eid-ul-adha or tobaski day, Jatta killed Tabally by fatally stabbing him with a knife on the neck.
Delivering judgment yesterday morning, Justice Jaiteh disclosed that the convict was arraigned before his court on 13 December 2021 and pleaded not guilty to the single charge of murder.
He further disclosed that the prosecution led by principal state counsel, Patrick Gomez, called four witnesses to discharge the burden of proof and tender documents into evidence.
The trial judge said following the closure of the prosecution case, the convict testified alone and did not call any witness and did not tender any document into evidence and closed his defence.
The judge revealed that from the totality of evidence adduced by the witnesses and from a careful study of the documentary evidence with the medical death certificate, it was conclusive that the deceased died of a penetrating stab wound injury of the right anterior triangle of the neck and multiple external and internal haemorrhage.
The judge reported that in his defence, Jatta said he attacked Tabally with a knife because he provoked him by insulting him.
The trial judge pointed out that the convict failed to establish provocation and self-defence while the prosecution sufficiently established the constituent elements of the offence of murder and Foday Jatta was therefore found guilty of the murder of Yusupha Tabally in a brutal and cowardly manner and sentenced to death.
