Justice Ivan Ansumana Sesay has on Thursday 13th October, 2022 sentenced Joel Salter Williams to twenty years imprisonment after he was found guilty of beating his eleven years son with a belt until he collapsed and died.

Before sentencing, the Judge stated that the accused was arraigned before the Court on a count of manslaughter contrary to law.

The charge sheet indicated that the accused on at Hastings Village in Freetown unlawfully killed Joel Banner Salter.

The first prosecuting witness Police Constable 1244 Sama Bangura attached to the Criminal Investigation Department Kissy Police Station told the Court that he obtained voluntary cautioned statement from the accused and he also charged him with the offence of manslaughter.

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The judge further that the statement of the accused was read in Court and there he admitted that he was the one who killed his son but did not do it intentionally. Justice Ivan Sesay furthered that after the Prosecution had closed their case the accused in his defence replied on the statements he mad to the police and in his statement he confessed that he indeed beat the deceased with his belt. He said the accused in his statement also said that the reason why he beat the deceased was because he wore dirty clothes to attend church services.

Justice Ivan Sesay furthered that the medical report of the eleven year old boy stated that he died from physical assault, dislocation of cervical vertebrae, manual strangulation, scratches on the right neck and the cause of death was unnatural.

Looking at the evidence before him, he said the accused is guilty for the offence of manslaughter.

The accused pleaded for mercy and said it was not intentional adding that he is still in pain mourning the death of his son.

Defence Counsel Cecilia Tucker in her plea for the mitigation on behalf of the accused pleaded with the Judge to temper justice with mercy on the accused.
She said the accused has a five yar old child and he is very remorseful for his act.

Justice Sesay said, after listening to the plea for mitigation by the Defense Counsel and also the accused, adding that he was been remorseful throughout the trial but he also takes into consideration the life of the eleven year old boy.

He therefore sentenced him to twenty years imprisonment and time spent in custody should be taken into consideration.