Teacher docked for stabbing woman

One Bubaccar Jadama, a teacher, was recently arraigned before the Bundung Magistrates’ Court presided over by Acting Principal Magistrate Kumba Sillah Camara for assault and causing bodily harm to Maimuna Konteh at Tallinding.

According to the particulars, on12 October 2008 at Tallinding, Bubacarr Jadama unlawfully assaulted Maimuna Konteh by stabbing her all over her body with a broken bottle.

The accused pleaded not guilty. In her testimony, Maimuna Konteh explained to the court that on the day in question, she came back from the market and found her daughter, Aisha, quarrelling with the accused’s sister. Maimuna said she intervened by slapping her daughter and telling her to go inside. She said the accused’s sister then came to the her apartment and started insulting her.

Maimuna continued that her son, Ebrima, arrived and heard the girl insulting her. She told the court that Ebrima said: I can’t stand here and watch you insulting my mother”.

Ebrima, she added, was on the verge of hitting the accused’s sister when the accused gripped from behind and they fought. She further explained that they were separated by sympathisers.

According to her, this did not end there. The accused broke a bottle and entered their apartment but was pushed out. He then started throwing stones into their apartment. She added that about 30 minutes later, when her son had gone out she came out of her apartment. She narrated that she was then approached by Babucarr from behind and he stabbed her until she became unconscious.

The witness added that it was one Jimaima, a neighbour, who took her to the police station, from where she was taken to the Jammeh Foundation Hospital, Bundung. She was then referred to the Royal Victoria Teaching Hospital, Banjul where she spent 3 days.

The accused did not deny stabbing her but raised an objection over one of the exhibits tendered in court by the police prosecutor, Inspector Jahateh.

When Acting Principal Magistrate Kumba Sillah Camara asked for the reasons of the objection, he said “I did not use this bottle but I used a Coca Cola bottle to stab her, because it was Coca cola that I drank.”

His objection was overruled by the magistrate, and the broken Sprite bottle was marked as part of the exhibits
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The case was adjourned to 19 November 2008. Meanwhile the accused person was granted bail in the sum of D70,000 or a Gambia surety with the like sum.

At that point the defence counsel, Sheriff Tambedou , who appeared for the 2nd and 5th accused asked for time to enable him to enter into a plea bargain with the prosecution.

Each of the accused was granted bail in the sum of D70,000 each or a Gambian surety with a property of the said valued. The case continues on November 10, 2008.