By Kemeseng Sanneh (Kexx)
A former roommate to the late Lamarana Jallow (deceased) on Thursday, 26th January gave a detailed testimony on the relationship between the deceased and Kumba Sinyan (accused person).
Kumba Sinyan is facing a single charge of murder. She is accused of the murder of Lamarana Jallow in 2022 at the Friendship Hostel, Bakau.
Alhagie Sonko, the fifth prosecution witness testified that he was a roommate to the deceased, adding he knew Kumba Sinyan.
The resident of Brusubi said the deceased and the accused person were in a love relationship for about four (4) years. He testified that Kumba used to come to their house.
Sonko recalled a problem between late Lamarana Jallow and Kumba Sinyan in their house. He explained that he found Lamarana holding the two hands of Kumba.
“Lama was sitting in a chair holding Kumba Sinyan’s two hands. I asked Lama to leave her hands, but Lama told me that if he leaves her hands Kumba Sinyan will hurt him. Lama told me that she was having a bottle. Before that day, I bought a glass bottle of coffee, that’s the bottle Kumba was having in her hand,” he said.
The witness said he held Kumba’s hands and tried to help Lama to go out. He said the scuffle brought the neighbours to their house and they were calming Kumba down. He added that Lama was taken to another house but Kumba still attempted to attack him in the other house.
The witness said he sustained injuries together with Lama while Kumba picked her bag and left the compound. He added that he was the one who accompanied Lama to the clinic.
He testified that two days before the incident which resulted in Lamarana’s demise, Kumba came to their house while he was already in bed.
“Kumba Sinyan entered the compound and knocked on our door and asked Lama to open the door. But Lama said he won’t open the door for her,” he said.
The witness said Kumba came through the window, near the bedroom and asked him (the witness) to open the door for her. He added that he did not open the door as he referred her to Lamarana to open for her. He testified that when he woke up to open the door for Kumba, Lamarana asked him not to open the door for her. He said this was around 3 am.
The witness said that after Lamarana pulled the key from the door and went back to his bed, the accused (Kumba Sinyan) went to Lamarana’s window and kept on knocking on it, saying she had a message to tell Lamarana. Then the rain started and Lama called one taxi driver to come and pick her up. When the taxi driver came and horn, Lama asked her to go to the taxi, when she reaches home she can call for them to discuss but Kumba insisted to go and the taxi driver stood there for a while and the driver left.
The witness further told the court that Lama called another taxi driver and told Kumba that ‘this is your last chance; if you don’t go I won’t call another taxi again’ but Kumba insisted that she is not going. Then Lama called another taxi, the driver told him that he was around Manjai, so Lama told him to come and pick up Kumba. The rain started again, that was when he fell asleep.
The witness said the next day Lamarana told him that Kumba sent him a text message indicating that since she was in the house and Lama refused to open the door for her, she wanted to end the relationship.
The witness further revealed that Lamarana told him he was grateful for the message because he was tired of her (Kumba) because sometimes Kumba took his contact numbers and text them rubbish including his business partners with all sorts of nonsense. He said Lamarana told him that some of his business partners used to call him and give report about Kumba’s behaviour.
He said he went on a short trip, for some days. On the night of the incident, he came around 9 pm and went to the boys where he sat until around 11 pm before going to bed. He said when he came to the house he found that Lamarana had already packed all his documents in a suitcase and left it on the floor. The witness said he was the one who picked the suitcase and placed it on the chair.
He said he did not find Lamarana in the house and did not come back that night.
The case was then adjourned to 16th February, 2023 for cross-examination.
