In Sierra Leone, West Africa, 32-year-old Joel Salter Williams has been sentenced to prison after he was found guilty of killing his 11-year-old son, Joel Bernard Salter Williams.
The ruling was given by the Court of Appeal Judge, Honourable Justice Ansumana Ivan Sesay.
The convict was before the court on a one-count indictment of Manslaughter.
The Prosecution alleged that the accused on the 31st day of January 2021 at Waterloo in the Western Area of the Country unlawfully killed Bernard.
Upon his arraignment, the accused pleaded not guilty. Following an application by the State Prosecutor E. T. Jalloh, Justice Sesay granted the trial by a judge alone.
The Prosecution led in evidence four witnesses in support of their case including Dr. Simeon Owiss Koroma, a forensic pathologist.
The accused is said to have beaten his son severely which eventually resulted to his death.
In his medical report on the cause of death of the deceased, Dr. Simeon Owizz Koroma said the cause of death was unnatural.
The accused when put to his election, relied on his statement to the police.
Delivering his judgment, Hon. Justice Sesay stated that it is the standard in all criminal trials for the prosecution to prove the guilt of the accused person subject to the defence of insanity and any statutory provision.
He said the evidence suggests that there was a death and such death was caused by the physical assault of the accused person on the 11-year-old now deceased though not intentional.
He added that the accused person ought to have realized that his act would lead to such consequences for which he has been found guilty.
In his allocutus, the convict pleaded for mercy.
Defence Lawyer, Cecilia Tucker pleaded with the Judge to temper justice with mercy as the convict has a 5-year-old child.
In his response, Justice Sesay stated that the 11- year-old had the right to life as enshrined in the 1991 Constitution and therefore sentenced the convict to twenty years which starts to run from the date of incarceration.
