Mother Released After 11-Month Detention for Eating and Drinking at Restaurant Without Paying

A 25-year-old mother of a two-year-old child has been reportedly released from custody in Freetown after spending 11 months in detention over a case involving food and drinks she allegedly consumed without paying.

According to a case update issued on March 11, 2026, by the legal aid organization AdvocAid, Khadijah Kamara was released on March 10, 2026, after the High Court sentenced her to a term equivalent to the time she had already spent on remand.

Kamara was first arrested in April 2025 and investigated for office breaking and larceny. She was later charged with one count of Office Breaking and Larceny contrary to Section 26(1) of the Larceny Act 1916.

The charge stemmed from an incident that occurred on April 21, 2025, at the Alfisher Investment Company on Campbell Street in Freetown. According to the case summary, Kamara was accused of breaking into the premises and taking two canned drinks and a packaged meal wrapped in foil belonging to the company, with a total value of SLE 160.

The matter was initially heard at the Magistrate Court as preliminary investigations, where Kamara did not have legal representation. The case was later committed to the High Court in July 2025.

In January 2026, prosecutors indicted Kamara on a charge of intent to steal under Section 27(2) of the Larceny Act 1916.

Kamara appeared before Justice Baioh at the High Court on March 10, 2026, where she was represented by counsel from AdvocAid. During the proceedings, she pleaded guilty, and her lawyers entered a plea in mitigation requesting a minimal sentence.

Justice Baioh subsequently sentenced Kamara to 11 months imprisonment. However, the court noted that the sentence had already been served while she was on remand, resulting in her immediate release from the Freetown Female Correctional Centre.

In its statement, AdvocAid said it continues to work to ensure that women who come into conflict with the law have access to legal representation and that justice processes are fair, proportionate and responsive to their circumstances.