By Joseph Momoh, Daily Scope Reporter
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 Catholic priest, Reverend Father Augustine Dauda Amadu. A sixth man was jailed 14 years for receiving stolen property.
The convicts are Martin Sallu, Gbessay Sawray, Foday Sallu, John Bangali, and Joseph Gikamaji Kamara. Foday Alhassan Sesay was convicted on a separate charge.
The court heard that in 2023, the first five convicts robbed and killed Rev. Fr. Amadu in Kenema. During the attack, they allegedly stole a Lenovo laptop valued at US$350 and Le5,000 in cash. Sesay was later found guilty of receiving the laptop knowing it was stolen.
All six initially pleaded not guilty but were convicted after the prosecution proved the case beyond reasonable doubt.
Delivering judgment, Justice Stevens said confessional statements played a key role. Gbessay Sawray and Joseph Gikamaji Kamara admitted involvement in the killing, while Foday Sallu told police he knew of the planned attack but failed to report it. The judge dismissed claims that the statements were extracted under duress, describing them as “self-serving” and inconsistent with the detailed accounts given.
Medical evidence presented in court showed that Rev. Fr. Amadu died from a broken neck and a fractured right hand. His body was found in a pool of blood inside a toilet.
“This was a brutal and senseless killing of a religious leader,” Justice Stevens said. “There was no justification for the taking of his life.”
The court also heard that Sawray was already serving a life sentence for another offence before escaping prison and committing the murder.
During mitigation, Defence Counsel Karim Kargbo of Legal Aid Board pleaded for leniency. State Counsel Patrick Lumumba Williams told the court the minimum sentence for the offences was 14 years. All five principal convicts pleaded for mercy except Sawray, who maintained his innocence.
Justice Stevens sentenced Martin Sallu, Gbessay Sawray, Foday Sallu, John Bangali, and Joseph Gikamaji Kamara to 80 years each. Foday Alhassan Sesay received 14 years for receiving stolen goods.
The judge ordered that the sentences run consecutively.
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