The High Court has sentenced Ismaila Janneh to death after finding him guilty of murdering Alieu Jallow during a knife attack in Brufut Ghana Town in December 2023.

Delivering judgment, Justice Ebrima Jaiteh ruled that the prosecution had proved beyond reasonable doubt that Janneh fatally stabbed Jallow in the back during a confrontation linked to a dispute over two allegedly stolen mobile phones and D1,200.

The judge convicted Janneh of murder under Section 187 of the Criminal Code and imposed the mandatory death sentence under Section 188, which was in force when the offence was committed. He also directed the Minister of Justice to determine the manner in which the sentence should be carried out.

The prosecution called five witnesses, including eyewitness Babucarr Manneh, who testified that Janneh confronted Jallow at a football field, produced a knife after an argument and stabbed him before fleeing.

Medical evidence presented by pathologist Dr Ousman Leigh showed that Jallow died from massive internal bleeding caused by a deep stab wound that punctured his right lung.

Janneh denied possessing a knife or killing Jallow, claiming he had been attacked by Jallow and Manneh and that Jallow was accidentally injured after being struck by a bag during the scuffle. His lawyers argued that the prosecution had failed to prove its case and raised self-defence.

Justice Jaiteh rejected the defence, describing the eyewitness testimony as credible and strongly supported by the medical evidence. He ruled that the absence of the murder weapon did not weaken the prosecution’s case and found that Janneh’s account could not explain the fatal stab wound.

The judge also held that the self-defence argument was inconsistent with Janneh’s denial that he stabbed the deceased and said that, even if Jallow had struck first with a stick, responding with a knife to a vital part of the body was excessive.

Although Janneh was sentenced to death, The Gambia has maintained an unofficial moratorium on executions since 2012. He was informed of his right to appeal both the conviction and the sentence.