By Louise Jobe
Principal Magistrate Anna O. Mendy on Wednesday sentenced a Gambia College Administrative Staff to two (2) years imprisonment and further four years with the option of paying a fine for abducting and assaulting a student in the college campus.
“The effect of “abduction” in our community is a growing concern as most men with ulterior motives venture in such wicked or evil attitude, thereby causing trauma to their victims. In this instant case, the convict is a lecturer at the Gambia Colleague and owes the victim (student of the said Gambia College) a duty of care and to protect her from any harm. Therefore, there is need to eliminate such unacceptable, wicked, immoral and unlawful behaviours or attitudes,” Principal Magistrate Mendy said.
She said the offence of abduction attracts a jail term of seven (7) years while the offence of assault occasioning actual bodily harm attracts a jail term of five (5) years.
Alasana Janneh on Monday pleaded guilty to two criminal offences – abduction and assault causing actual bodily harm. Magistrate Mendy sentenced the man to a mandatory jail term of two years imprisonment on the charge of abduction. On the charge of assault, she fined him Fifty Thousand Dalasi (D50,000) in default to serve a jail term of two years imprisonment. She further ordered the convict to lay a compensation of Two Hundred Thousand Dalasi (D200,000.00) to the victim (name withheld) in default to serve a jail term of two years imprisonment.
She ordered that the sentences shall run consecutively. The word consecutively is defined in the Merriam Webster Dictionary as “with each following the other without interruption.” This means, Alasana Janneh must spend the 2-year mandatory jail term and then serve the other 4 years if he fails to pay the fine. After the 2 years, the time for the four years will start ticking.
The particulars of offence on count one (abduction) revealed that ALASSAN JANNEH, on the 19th day of September, 2023 at The Gambia, College, Kombo Central in the West Coast Region detained a student with intent in his office against her will.
The particulars of offence on count two (assault) revealed that ALASSAN JANNEH on the same day unlawfully assaulted the student by grabbing her on her neck causing her injuries.
The convict initially denied the charges but changed his plea after the victim testified. The convict then informed the court that what the victim said was true and he actually did the offences as charged.
The charges were read to him again in the presence of his lawyer (Lamin K. Mboge) and he pleaded guilty to both charges.
The Magistrate took Alasana Janneh’s plea of mitigation into consideration and relied on provisions of the law to shorten the sentence since he is a first-time offender.
She mentioned that Section 29 (2) of the Criminal Code which provides that “A person liable on conviction to imprisonment for life or any other period for an offence against this code or against other law may be sentenced for a shorter term.”
Section 29(3) of the Criminal Code went further to state that: “A person liable to imprisonment for an offence against this code or any other law may be sentenced to pay a fine in addition to or instead of imprisonment.
