GAMBIA: SIERRA LEONEAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR KILLING BRITISH NATIONAL

May 15, 2025:

Banjul High Court, presided over by Justice Ebrima Jaiteh, on May 12, 2025 sentenced Augustine Bangura, a Sierra Leonean national, to death having found him guilty of killing a British national, Shakina Chinedu.
Bangura was convicted of killing Shakina Chinedu with a hammer at the back of her neck on February 14, 2024 at Sinchang village.
The court also ordered that the convict should spend five years imprisonment for stealing the deceased’s properties.
In his marathon judgment, Justice Jaiteh recalled that the convict, Bangura, was charged with two charges of criminal offenses that included a murder contrary to 187 of the Criminal Code, Cap 10:01, Volume 3, Laws of The Gambia.
The trial Judge also recollected that Bangura was also charged with theft contrary to section 252 of the Criminal Code, Cap 10:01, Volume 3, Revised Laws of The Gambia 2009.
According to the particulars of offense, in count 1[theft] Bangura allegedly stole D80,000, two [2] laptops, a tablet, flash drives, keys, canon camera, bank and correspondence cards from the bag and apartment of the deceased, Chinedu.
The judge stated that the first prosecution witness [pw1], Modou Badjie, a Police Officer attached to Tujereng Police Station cum within the Serious Crime Unit of The Gambia Police Force, in his testimony stated that when police investigators arrived at the crime scene, they found gates of the compound locked.
They (police investigators) took a ladder from the neighbourhood which enabled them [police investigators] to climb over the main gate and entered the deceased’s compound.
The first prosecution witness, Badjie deduced that at the time of the investigation of the whereabouts of Chinedu, police investigator uncovered her dead body which was thrown into a septic tank.
He explained that after such discovery the team of police investigators quickly summoned Fire and Rescue Service, Medical and Health Officers and Crime Record Officer, sergeant Modou Lamin Manneh, adding that consequently the deceased’s body was carefully retrieved and laid on the ground.
The judge in passing judgment stated that the eleventh prosecution witness [pw11], doctor Ousman Leigh pathologist who worked in Ghana had stated that the deceased was identified by one of her daughters in the presence of police officers before the autopsy, noting advanced decomposition with bruising and extensive bleeding, particularly around her neck where the doctor [Leigh] found dislocated cervical vertebrae.
According to Justice Jaiteh, Dr. Leigh in his conclusion stated that the cause of the death of Chinedu was attributed to "severe neck trauma resulting in cervical spine dislocation’’.
"Having meticulously examined all the facts, evidence and testimonies presented during this trial, I find that the convict, Augustine Bangura, has been found guilty of a heinous crime, the cold-blooded murder of Shakina Chinedu’’.
Justice Jaiteh described the murder of Chinedu as brutal and senseless nature, stating that such crime cannot be overstated, ‘’the loss of life, coupled with the callous manner in which the body was disposed of, calls for response that reflects the severity of the crime.’’
"Accordingly, under section 250 of the Criminal Procedure Code, Cap 11:01, Volume 3, Laws of The Gambia, and by the grave nature of the offense, I hereby sentence Augustine Bangura to death,‘’ Justice Jaiteh ruled.
The prosecution was led by Counsel M. Singhateh, F. Drammeh, and M. Sarr. Bangura, represented by Counsel F. T. Saho, pleaded not guilty to both charges.
While the death penalty remains on the books in The Gambia, no executions have taken place since the government declared a moratorium in 2018. It remains unclear whether Bangura’s sentence will be carried out or commuted.