By: Nicholas Bass
Justice Ebrima Jaiteh recently disclosed that he was persuaded to impose a life sentence against a mobile thief, Kemo Jobe who was convicted of threatening Lamin Touray with a bottle and forcefully taking his Huawei mobile phone worth D8,344.00.
In his recent judgment in a robbery case, the Banjul High Court Judge, Justice Ebrima Jaiteh said he was persuaded to ‘’impose the severest punishment of life imprisonment’’, adding that Jobe was ‘’callous and reckless’’.
The trial Judge, however, stated that he would not do so because the convict’s plea of ‘’leniency’’ begs the court to temper justice with mercy, citing that Jobe’s lawyer C. Uduma disclosed that his client is a young man at his prime age and first-time offender.
In his dismay, Justice Jaiteh stated that he cannot hide his ‘’distaste, repulsion and contempt for a criminal who used violence against his victims and robbed them of their possessions.
Before handing Jobe to 10-year imprisonment, Justice Jaiteh cited that he had found the convict (Jobe) to be ‘’repentant’’ adding that Jobe has learned lessons which according to the judge are compelling extenuating factors which he held as mitigating circumstances.
Consequently, Justice Jaiteh invoked section 29(2) of the Criminal Code which provides that a person liable to imprisonment for life or any other period for an offense against the code or other law may be sentenced for a ”shorter term’’.
‘’It is for these reasons that I will not impose the state or maximum sentence’’. ‘’ I hereby sentence the convict Kemo Jobe to ten-year imprisonment’’, Justice Jaiteh ruled.
