By Henry Kargbo
Hon. Justice Ivan Sesay has on Thursday 13th October 2022 jailed Joel Salter William father to twenty years for beating his son to death.The convict was found guilty of beating his eleven year old son with a belt until he collapsed and died.
On his sentenced the learned judge stated that the accused was arraigned before the court on a count of manslaughter contrary to law.
Charge sheet indicated that the accused on 23rd January, 2021 at Hastings, in the Western Rural District unlawfully killed his son Joel Banner Salter Williams.
After the charges was put to the accused he pleaded not guilty of the offence. He said it is the duty of the prosecution to prove the guilt of the accused beyond reasonable doubt.
Justice Sesay told the court that the prosecution called four witnesses to testify against the accused and the testimony of the witnesses collaborated.
He told the court that the first prosecution witness Police Constable 1244 Sama Bangura attached to the Criminal Investigation Department Kissy Police Division, said he obtained voluntary cautionary statement from the accused. He said he know convict and charged him with the offence of manslaughter.
Justice Sesay furthered that the statement of the accused know convict was read in court and there he admitted that he was the one who killed his son but did not do it intentionally.
He told the court that after the prosecution has closed their case the accused now convict in his defence relied on his statements he made to the police and in his statement he confessed that he indeed beat the deceased with his belt.
He said the convict in his statement also said that the reason why he beat the deceased was that he put on dirty cloth to attend church service. He said he asked him to go home and change but the deceased did not return to church again and when he went home he took his belt and beat him mercilessly and the boy collapsed. He explained that he took a bike and he and his sister rushed with him to the hospital but he died on the way.
Justice Sesay said the medical report of the eleven year old boy stated that he died from physical assault, dislocation of cervical vertebrae, manual strangulation, scratches on the right neck and the course of death was unnatural.
Based on evidence before the court, the Judge submitted that the accused is guilty of the offense of manslaughter. The accused pleaded for mercy saying was unintentional. He added that he is still in pain mourning the death of his son. Defence Counsel Cecilia Tucker in her plea mitigation on behalf of the accused, pleaded with the Judge to temper justice with mercy on the accused. She said the accused has a five year old child and he is very remorseful for his act. Justice Ivan before sentencing him said he has listened to the plea mitigation of defence counsel said the accused has been remorseful throughout the trial but he also takes into consideration the life of the eleven year old boy. He therefore sentence him to twenty years imprisonment and time spent in custody should be taken into consideration.
