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Justice Alhaji Momoh Jah Stevens of the High Court in Freetown has sentenced five men to 80 years’ imprisonment each for the robbery and murder of Reverend Father Augustine Dauda Amadu, while a sixth defendant received a 14-year jail term for receiving stolen property.
The convicts are Martin Sallu, Gbessay Sawray, Foday Sallu, John Bangali, Joseph Gikamaji Kamara, and Foday Alhassan Sesay. They were convicted on charges including conspiracy to commit aggravated robbery, aggravated robbery, conspiracy to murder, murder, and receiving stolen goods.
The court heard that the first five convicts were involved in the robbery and killing of Reverend Father Augustine Dauda Amadu, during which he was allegedly robbed of a Lenovo laptop valued at US$350 and Le5,000 cash. The sixth convict, Foday Alhassan Sesay, was found guilty of receiving the stolen laptop while knowing it was unlawfully obtained.
Justice Stevens said all six accused persons had initially pleaded not guilty but were convicted after the prosecution presented evidence proving the case beyond reasonable doubt.
The judge noted that some of the convicts had made statements to the police admitting their involvement in the crime. He said Gbessay Sawray and Joseph Gikamaji Kamara gave confessional statements acknowledging their role in the killing, while Foday Sallu admitted knowing about the planned attack but failed to report it to the authorities.
The court also rejected claims by some of the accused that their statements were obtained under duress, describing their testimonies as self-serving. Justice Stevens said their statements contained detailed accounts linking them to the planning and execution of the crime.
According to the judge, medical evidence showed that Reverend Father Amadu suffered a broken neck and a fractured right hand before being found dead in a pool of blood inside a toilet. He described the killing as brutal and senseless, stating that the convicts had no justification for taking the life of a religious leader.
Justice Stevens further noted that Gbessay Sawray was already serving a life sentence for another offence before escaping from prison and committing the offence for which he was convicted.
During mitigation, the convicts pleaded for leniency, except Sawray, who denied responsibility for the crime. Defence counsel Karim Kargbo of the Sierra Leone Legal Aid Board urged the court to consider mercy, while State Counsel Patrick Lumumba Williams informed the court that the minimum sentence for the offences was 14 years.
After considering the circumstances of the case, Justice Stevens sentenced Martin Sallu, Gbessay Sawray, Foday Sallu, John Bangali, and Joseph Gikamaji Kamara to 80 years’ imprisonment each. Foday Alhassan Sesay was sentenced to 14 years for receiving stolen property.
The court ordered that the sentences be served consecutively.
