Henry Kargbo
Hon Justice Monfred Sesay on Wednesday 9 August 2023, sent on remanded Christopher Lavallie – alias Pigeon, at the Pademba Road Male Correctional Centre for allegedly murdered Josephus Cornelius Metzger. The accused person pleaded not guilty as charges were read to him in the open court. According to the particular of offence, Pigeon on 22 March 2022 at Freetown in the Western Area of Sierra Leone murdered Josephus Cornelius Metzger. The lead State Council, Aruna Jalloh in this submission in the presence of the prosecuting witness, told the court that the accused was a normal person at the time the offence was committed.
Jalloh told the court that the deceased before traveling bid fair well to his father and later went to Armani Night Club at Brookfield’s to have fun before departure. He continued that deceased later abandon the stage area in the night club and joined his cousin, David Jackson where he was stabbed. In his testimony, First Prosecution Witness (PW1) Dr Semion Owize Koroma told the court that on 25 March 2022, he remembered was at Connaught hospital when he received request from SLP to carry out an autopsy examination on one Josephus Cornelius Metzger at Connaught hospital. Dr Owize Koroma added that he conducted the autopsy in the presence of Tom George, the deceased uncle, Detective Sergeant Fofanah, Koroma a Senior Crime Officer both attached at the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) and some medical students.
He told the court that the deceased Josephus Cornelius Metzger was a 28 year healthy build man, stabbed at the back of his neck with a sharp pointed metallic object suspected to be scissor that resulted to serious shock and excessive bleeding that eventually led to his death.
At the end of the autopsy, I found out that the death was not natural and as a result, he continued a copy of autopsy result was made available to the Investigation Officer (IO) and the Judiciary for proper investigation, he told the court. Dr O. Koroma tendered the dead certificate in court and was labelled as exhibit A1-5.
During his cross examination, lawyer R. Bangura, put it before Dr Koroma that he was called by one of the relatives of the deceased. In response, the prosecution witness told the court that he was never informed by relative but the Investigating Officer (IO). He told the Lawyer that the deceased was not drunk but rather of a sound state (normal person). He informed the court that the incident took place on 22 March of last year and conducted autopsy three days after, revealing that the stabbed wound was not fresh because the medical examination was not instantaneous.
Prosecutor Witness (PW2), Ibrahim Kamara told the court that he recognized the accused person as an area boy and know the victim Josephus Cornelius Metzger. He recalled March 22, 2022, at Armani Night Club watching performance when he saw the deceased. He furthered that he also saw the accused person standing outside together with the deceased watching the performance from outside. PW2 told the court that he saw the accused with a scissor parading the night club and notice that there was an argument between the two over a mega sum of 30 new Leones.
I left Armani club and headed to Eva bar about seven meters from Armani night club, PW2 revealed. He clearly told the court that he saw the accused raised he hand and stabbed Josephus Cornelius Metzger on his left side of the neck. I lifted the deceased on a motorbike for Connaught hospital but died along the way, he told the court.
He said he called and informed relatives of the deceased on what has happened and they went to the police station to make a report, noting while he was making his statement then saw the accused with handcuff. He attested that the deceased was not a partaker of alcohol and there was no fighting between the two before the stabbed.
Prosecution Witness 3, Mohamed Fofanah sergeant 9405 attached at central police division as exhibit Clark was also arraigned before the court. He recalled that on 25th March 2022 while on duty, one 11522 Koroma A. gave him one bloody stained scissor for registration and safe keeping. He told the court that he recorded it on the court record book with ceria number 39-2023, since then the stained scissor was in his custody. Prosecution Witness 4, cousin to the deceased, David Jackson told the court the accused is not a relative but recognized him at Congo Town, Freetown.
He recalled 22nd March 2022, that him and two other friends left Dwazark for Armani night club to witness an artist performance. He told the court he was at the said location with his friends when the deceased joined up. While standing, he continued, one of his friends left to purchase a drink for the deceased but stayed longer than expected. Unexpectedly, I saw the accused stabbed my cousin on his neck with a scissor and ran away, he narrated.
He narrated that he later took off his sweeter (Homeboy) to cover the wound with the help of his friend who went to purchase drink. During the fight to rescue his cousin, he informed the said friend that pigeon had killed his cousin. He said they hired a motor bike for Connaught hospital, while on their way to the hospital, he called and informed relatives that someone had stabbed JC.
During cross examination told the court that the light at the night club was bright and coloured bulb. He confessed he can see any objects and people at the night club, insisting that his cousin was never drunk. The State Prosecution applied for an adjoined date to enable him brings in his final witness. Hon. Justice Monfred Sesay adjoined the matter to Wednesday 16th August 2023.
