By Mariama Marong
A petty trader at Latrikunda Piccadilly Junction, who sells mbahal, has testified before the Bundung Magistrates’ Court about how she lost her leg after being knocked down by a car allegedly driven by a young man accused of drifting at high speed.
The victim, Sanneh Cham, appeared before Magistrate I. Dibba on Monday, 6th October 2025, to give her testimony in the ongoing trial involving the accused, Babucarr Sawo, commonly known as “Daddy.” Sawo is facing five counts — rash and negligent act causing harm, reckless driving, unlicensed driving, careless driving, and grievous harm — all arising from an accident that occurred on 11th August 2025 at Tabokoto Piccadilly Junction in the Kanifing Municipality.
Police Prosecutor Manga appeared for the Inspector General of Police (IGP), while the accused is represented by Lawyer S.K. Jobe.
According to the charge particulars, the accused allegedly drove a Honda Acura with registration number BJL 2807 S in a reckless and dangerous manner, causing grievous harm to Ms. Cham, who sustained severe injuries that led to the amputation of her leg.
Testifying in court, Ms. Cham, a resident of Latrikunda and a petty trader, said she recognized the accused as the man who knocked her down. She told the court that between 9:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. on the night of the incident, she was at her place of business when she saw a vehicle approaching at high speed.
“I told my granddaughter to run because the car was coming fast,” she said. “As I was running, the vehicle knocked me from behind. I fell to the ground, the boys around ran away, and I shouted for help.”
The witness said one of her hands got injured and the car rested on her leg. “The boys came and tried to lift the vehicle off me. They pulled me out, but when they asked me to stand, I couldn’t. My leg was hanging,” she recounted tearfully.
She told the court that she was taken inside a nearby gym as people gathered around the scene. “I begged them to take me to the hospital because I was in so much pain,” she said. A young man who identified himself as a staff member of Jammeh Foundation Hospital assisted in taking her there. From Jammeh Foundation, she was referred to Ndemban Hospital.
“At Ndemban, I was attended to by Dr. Jeng. I told him that I had lost hope about my leg,” she said, adding that the doctor dressed her wounds and placed her in the emergency ward. “I stayed there from Monday to Wednesday. They later took me to the theatre, but my leg was not amputated then. I was given medication and my wound was dressed daily, but the pain was unbearable.”
She testified that she was later transferred twice to Banjul Hospital to place straps on her leg and arm. “After a while, the doctors said my leg had to be amputated because there was no flesh left at both ends,” she said in tears. “I was bleeding a lot. When they told me about the amputation, I begged them to help me because I was suffering.”
The witness said her leg was eventually amputated. “After the amputation, my body became swollen, and they found it difficult to fix drips. They had to give me medical support until I recovered,” she added.
When asked by Commissioner Manga about her hand, Ms. Cham said it was broken and had to be molded. She said she spent over a month in the hospital. “I am still feeling pain in my leg area,” she told the court.
During cross-examination, defence counsel S.K. Jobe asked the witness how much she earned daily from her mbahal business. She replied that she made about D7,000 a day but could not estimate her exact profit after expenses. She said her business has come to a standstill since the accident.
The case has been adjourned to 15th October at 1:30 p.m., 22nd October at 2:10 p.m., and 28th October at 1:00 p.m. for continuation of cross-examination.
