The murder trial of Abdul Kpaka, accused of killing his girlfriend Sia Kamara, took a dramatic turn on Thursday as the deceased’s sister took the stand.

Christiana Kamara detailed a history of abuse at the hands of Kpaka, painting a picture of a volatile relationship.

According to Christiana, Kpaka had a history of physical and verbal violence towards Sia. She described incidents of domestic abuse, including beatings and threats. The defense team, however, challenged the credibility of Christiana’s testimony, arguing that some of her statements were hearsay.

The day began with the state’s lawyer, YI Sesay, presenting a preliminary application advocating for the trial to proceed with a judge alone, citing Section 144(2) of the Criminal Procedure Act, 1965 as amended by the Act of 1981. The application, backed by a document signed by the Director of Public Prosecution, Osman I Kanu Esq., argued that a judge-alone trial would best serve the interests of justice.

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However, the defence team, led by ET Koroma and supported by a robust assembly of 12 lawyers, contested the application. They argued that the accused has a constitutional right to decide if he wants to be tried by a judge or a jury, stressing that denying this choice could set a poor precedent for future cases. Despite these objections, Justice Stevens ruled in favour of a judge-alone trial, urging a swift process to uphold justice.

Towards the end of the day’s session, the defence revisited the topic of bail for Abdul Kpaka, which was promptly dismissed by Justice Stevens, who had previously decided against granting bail. The defence argued that circumstances could change, warranting reconsideration, but the judge remained firm that the trial’s swift completion was the priority.

The trial was adjourned to October 3rd.