By: Dawda M. Jallow
A certain Franklin Corneis was on Monday convicted by Magistrate Thomas Touray of the Kanifing Magistrates’ Court for threatening violence.
His conviction followed his admission of guilt for charges of common assault and threatening violence.
In delivering his judgement,Magistrate Thomas Touray put into consideration the fact that the convict did not waste the court’s time by admitting to the charges pressed against him. He also put into consideration the fact that the convict is a first-time offender and, therefore, fined him D2, 000 for common assault in default to serve two months imprisonment. Cornelis was fined D5, 000 for threatening violence in default to spend two months in prison and was ordered to compensate the complainant D5, 000 in default to serve one month imprisonment.
Prosecutors charged the convict with common assault and threatening violence contrary to sections 227 and 84(a) of the Criminal Code, Cap 10.01 of Volume lll of the Revised Laws of The Gambia (2009)
The particulars of offence read that Corneis sometime this year at Reo’s Bar Restaurant in Senegambia, KanifingMunicipality, assaulted one Marius Van De Veeke by punching him with his hand on his face, thereby committed an offence. The particulars of count two indicated that Cornelis, with the intent to intimidate or annoy threatened to kill one Marius Van De Veeke, thereby committed an offence.
Narrating the facts of the matter, ASP Camara, representing the Inspector General of Police, told the court that the incidenthappened on1 January 2025, at Reo’s Bar Restaurant at Senegambia. He narrated that the complainant and the convict were involved in a discussion but there was a misunderstanding between them and that when the complainant went outside, the accused met him there and gave him a punch on the face.
ASP Camara stated that as the complainant was on his way toreport the matter to the police station, he was chased by Cornelis, who threatened to kill him.
“Because of the insults and threats the complainant received from the accused. Out of fear, he [the complainant] ran to the police station to report the matter. When they arrived at the police station, voluntary and cautionary statements were obtained from the two individuals. At that restaurant, there was a CCTV, which captured the accused person punching the complainant on his face,’’ ASP Touray narrated.
In his plea for mitigation, the convicts said: “I mistakenly did it but I made a decision that I shall never commit such a crime. I spend three days in police custody, where I slept on the ground and even got some infection on my body. I am apologizing to the complainant and I promise the court that such things shall never happened again.’’
