By Kemeseng Sanneh (Kexx)
Kumba Sinyan, accused of murdering her boyfriend, Lamarana Jallow, continued with her testimony in defence. She allegedly killed the late Lamarana Jallow by cutting his stomach with a razor blade. She denied the charge of murder and she is now stating her side of the story. She gave a detailed narration of her encounter with Lamarana resulting in his demise. She testified that she stabbed Lamarana inside the hostel room in self-defence because he was under the influence of drugs and penetrated her forcefully. Kamba said she was sealed by Dr Daffeh of Kanifing General Hospital.
During her marathon testimony, Kumba said the idea of meeting at the Friendship Hostel located inside the premises of the Independence Stadium, Bakau, was conceived by Lamarana Jallow, renowned as Lama. The reason for their meeting was for her to shave Lama’s genital area, according to Kumba. She recounted that she spent almost the whole day talking to Lama over the phone since he was supposed to travel abroad for studies the following day.
“In the morning, when I woke up, I saw his missed call. So, I called him back and we chatted. It went to the point where he told me that we needed to see each other and that he missed me ‘cleaning’ him,” Kamba said.
“What do you mean by cleaning him?” Senior Lawyer Sagarr Twum asked Kumba.
“He meant he missed me ‘cleaning’ his private parts. That is for me to shave his private part,” Kumba replied.
The meeting time according to Kumba was around 8 pm. She testified that the Hostel was their usual meeting place and Lama was the one who did the booking.
“We have been meeting there several times,” she said.
She said the receptionists at the hostel came to know them.
“Was there any argument/problem between you before you met?” Counsel Twum asked.
“No, everything was ok between the two of us. We did not have any arguments or disagreements,” Kumba answered.
She gave a detailed testimony about her telephone conversation with Lama before meeting at the Hostel.
Counsel Twum asked her how booking is made at the Friendship Hostel.
“Lama was the one who made the bookings for the hostel room,” she said.
She said when she was going to the hostel, she wore brown tights, a black shirt, a black hat, a black head scarf with a blue face mask, and brown slippers. She added that it was the usual way she used to dress when going to meet Lama.
“What would you say to the suggestion that you put on those clothes as a disguise or to hide your identity?” Counsel Trump asked.
“No that’s not the case,” Kumba said.
“While dressing up, did you take anything with you?” Twum asked.
“I took along my cross bag, power bank, ID card, and money,” Kumba said.
On her way to the hostel, Kumba said she passed by a shop and purchased a soap to use to clean Lama’s genital parts.
“What else did you need to shave him?” Counsel Twum asked.
“A shaving stick and razor blade,” Kumba said, adding that Lama was supposed to bring them.
“Did you bring along any sharp objects or weapons to the hostel?” Counsel Trump asked.
“No, I did not,” Kumba said.
Lawyer Sagarr C.T Twum asked Kumba Sinyan to look at Exhibit K, which is the autopsy report, and asked whether it was correct. In Exhibit K, it was stated that recreational drugs were found in Lama’s system on the day of the incident.
“That is correct,” Kumba said.
“Did you bring along drugs or any harmful substances?” Counsel Twim asked.
“No, I did not,” Kumba said.
“Did it surprise you that drugs such as the one that you said Lama was selling were found in his system?” Counsel Twum asked.
“No,” Kumba said, adding “Because our first issues were as a result of it and he used to sell it.”
“Do you remember the charges levelled against you?” The Lawyer asked.
“Yes,” Kumba said.
“It says with Malice aforethought you intentionally killed lama, Can you tell the court if you intended to kill lama?” Counsel Twum said.
“No, it was not my intention,” Kumba replied.
Kumba narrated how she entered the Hostel passed through the reception and met Ensa Touray (PW3), who is a receptionist. Another person she knew at the Friendship Hostel was Demba Bah. She explained that she sometimes does the booking for a room and at times Lama used to do that. On this particular day, she said Lama made the booking.
Kumba proceeded to Room 111 where she found Lama inside and waiting for her.
“What happened after you went into the room?” She said.
“We chatted, I was sitting on the bed while Lama was leaning on the table. We talked about his travels as well as my business. After a while, Lama went and undressed himself then came back and lay down on his back in the bed. By then I was sitting at the edge of the bed. From there, I took out the blade from the pack brought by Lama. It was not in a new packet. The shaving stick was the local one that you attach the blade to.
“Look at Exhibit H4 which is the razor packet and Exhibit B2 is the razor blaze in blue and white? Exhibit F2 is the inner and outer cover of the Razor blade. Can you tell us if those were the razor and cover that Lama brought?” Counsel Fwim.
“Yes,” Kumba replied.
“Can you tell us what you did with the soap that you brought?” Twim asked.
“I used the soap along with water to apply on his private part. I took a blade and fixed it to the shaving stick and then I started shaving him,” Kumba said.
She added: “Lama was naked and lying on his back while I shaved him, but I did not remove my clothes. I don’t know how long it took, but we were chatting as well. After I finished, we both went into the toilet where Lama took a shower while I poured the water into the sink. I left Lama in the toilet and went back to the room. It was hot so I took off my tights and shirt while I stayed in my underwear and bra. I lay in the bed while Lama came out of the toilet, turned off the light, and lay on top of me.
He told me that he would be leaving, but if I dared cheat on him while away he would know about it. I told him I would not do that, but let him also make sure he does cheat on me as well. He threatened me that if I was with someone else, he had friends here and he would know. I told him he would meet me the same way he left me. He then told me that he wanted us to have sex, but I told him that we could not because I had sealed myself. He then took his hand and pressed it on my neck while he was also trying to force himself to have sex with me as he was trying to insert his private part in me through the sides of my underwear as I was wearing underwear. I told him that what are you doing? You are hurting me. He kept repeating that if I tried to cheat on him he knew, but kept pressing me trying to enter in me. I told him that ‘you are wounding me’ but he never listened as he was forcing me to have sex with me. I then realised he was serious. I felt pain because I could feel that his penis had gone into my vagina.”
“You have explained that even though you had your underwear on and you were sealed he still managed to penetrate you,” Counsel Twum said.
Kumba answered in the positive, adding that it was not the first time Lama tried to force her into sex. She said she suspected that Lama was under the influence of drugs. She added that Lama used to behave that way when he used drugs.
She testified that Lama continued to force himself on her despite telling him to stop because he was hurting her. She added that Lama’s act reminded her of her Uncle, who raped her in Senegal, and Lama himself for his previous forceful penetration.
“When he did that it reminded me of the past about what my uncle did and what he (Lama) also did to me previously. I then struggled to get my phone while he was forcing himself on me. I tried to get my phone but by then my phone was on the bed to call. At the time the only thought I had was if I didn’t defend myself, he would hurt me. I tried to reach my phone but I couldn’t. So, I got the blade and hurt him with it. At the time, I didn’t know where I hurt him because it was dark at the time. Then, I realised that he was a bit relaxed on top of me. I pushed him and he fell on the bed. I tried to escape, but he got up and came after me, by then I was by the wall and he took my head and banged it on the wall. We kept going back and forth, then he slapped me but we kept fighting and my head scarf fell from my head. We both fell on the ground with our heads in the toilet room while our legs were facing the room. He fell on his back while I was on top of him. As I was struggling to escape because he held me, I was trying to defend myself, I saw a broken tile so I pulled it towards me and then I held it with my left hand and then I stabbed him with it,” she said.
Kamba said the situation was a matter of life and death, so she had to defend herself.
“I tried to get up on top of him. I pressed both of my hands on his stomach while I was getting up. I saw that his body was bleeding. I turned on the light then I saw that his body had injuries while looking at his stomach, I saw his intestine out,” Kumba said.
“Can you tell us what was the cause of his intestine coming out?” Counsel Twum asked.
“I believe it was because of the way I pressed on his stomach while getting up that’s why his intestine came out,” she said.
“You told the court that you didn’t realise where you wound him,” Counsel Twum.
“Initially, when I cut him with the blade, I did not know where but when I turned on the light I realised that it was on his stomach at the time. It was not a life-threatening injury,” she said.
She said during the fight, she did not realise that the wound was serious.
“There were injuries on his body, chest and stomach. He got those injuries when I stabbed him again,” she said.
“What happened next?” Counsel Twum asked.
“I dragged him then sat on the ground and put his head on my lap. He told me to forgive him, and I told him ‘Lama don’t go and leave me here’. But he kept telling me to forgive him and that he would die,” Kumba said.
Kumba said she never had the intention to kill Lama, adding that she used to love Lama with her whole heart.
“After it happened, did you not run out to ask for help or go to the hospital?” Counsel Twum asked.
“I could not because I was shocked that’s why I didn’t call for help. I have never been in this situation. It has never happened to me,” she said.
Kumba added: “He started shouting, I was scared and didn’t want people to meet me in the room. So, I took my scarf and put it in his mouth,” she said.
“I then picked up my clothes from the bed and left the room. I passed through the reception and met people sitting outside,” Kumba said.
Kumba’s phone was tendered and admitted in evidence after claiming that she needed it to provide the court video and pictures as evidence. A video was played in court showing the late Lama begging her and pleading for her forgiveness. This was after an incident with Lama resulting in her miscarriage.
Kumba Sinyan produced the video on the phone and handed the phone to her defence lawyer, who handed it to the court to view and the prosecution counsel.
The case was adjourned to Wednesday, 16th July from 10 am to 12 pm for continuation.
