By Saidu Jalloh, Reporter D.S
A 48-year-old Sierra Leonean man residing in the UK, Amidu Koroma, has been sentenced to 29 years in prison for the brutal murder of his wife, Mariam Kamara, at their home in Brixton. The crime took place in January 2022, and Koroma also received a concurrent seven-year sentence for attempting to destroy evidence by setting their house on fire.
Koroma was convicted at the Old Bailey after jurors found that he attacked Ms. Kamara, a 46-year-old community nurse, while she slept. In a shocking act, he stabbed her repeatedly with a kitchen knife before dousing the bedroom with petrol and igniting it.
During the trial, it was revealed that Koroma attempted to shift the blame onto his then-17-year-old son, alleging that the teenager had suffered a mental breakdown and acted out scenes from a television drama. Judge Rebecca Poulet KC described this attempt to frame his child as “exceptionally cruel.”
The trial uncovered a troubled marriage characterized by longstanding tensions. Friends of Ms. Kamara testified that she had expressed fears for her safety, suggesting that Koroma may harm her. Evidence indicated that Koroma, who had fathered a child with another woman, was anxious about his wife potentially leaving him for someone she had grown close to in Sierra Leone.
The fatal fire erupted early on January 24, 2022, on Railton Road, triggering a thorough investigation by both police and fire authorities. Forensic analysis and inconsistencies in Koroma’s statements led to his exposure as the perpetrator.
In handing down the sentence, Judge Poulet emphasized that the murder was premeditated, partially driven by Koroma’s desperation to prevent Ms. Kamara from traveling to Sierra Leone. Aggravating factors included a history of threats and abuse, as well as the fact that Ms. Kamara’s teenage son was asleep in the house during the attack.
In a heartfelt victim impact statement, Ishmael, now 19, expressed that the loss of his mother had left him devastated, struggling with trust issues and burdened by an incomprehensible grief.
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