Prison Escapee Repeats Same Crime

By Fatima Sesay

 George Browne one of the prisoners who escaped from prison during the November 26 2023 failed coup, was again dragged to court by one Mohamed Alie Bah for allegedly stabbing him with a knife on his lower left eye. The accused, George Browne, was serving his sentence at the Pademba Road prison after being found guilty at the High Court for also wounding his uncle by also stabbing him with a knife. Browne is presently standing before Magistrate Santigie Bangura of Pademba Road Court No.2 on two count charges of wounding and assault occasioning actual bodily harm contrary to the laws of Sierra Leone. The charge sheet indicated that the accused, on Friday 14 March 2025 at Kroo Town Road in Freetown, maliciously wounded Mohamed Alie Bah. The police further alleged that George Browne, on the same date and place, assaulted Mohamed Alie Bah in a manner occasioning him actual bodily harm. In his testimony, the complainant, Mohamed Alie Bah, said he is a business man and knew the accused through his brother, Ibrahim Bah He recalled on the 14 March 2025, adding that his brother met him and informed him that he gave the accused the sum of seven thousand new Leones to give to someone, but since then he has not seen him. The witness furthered that they decided to search for the accused and saw him at Adelaide Street in the midst of people, and grabbed him from the back. He said that he saw the accused with a new mobile phone valued at three thousand new Leones, New watch, new clothes and the money in question. Upon seeing the accused, he said they apprehended him and took him to the Adelaide Street Police Station, and the property bought by the accused were handed over to the complainant in view of his money that the accused had converted. He continued that on the following day, the accused went to his house and asked him for his property, to which he responded that the accused should go to the police and ask them. The witness furthered that the accused then threatened to kill him, but he ignored him and went to a container of one Abdulai. He said that while talking to Abdulai, the accused stabbed him with a knife on his lower eye and blood started oozing out from his eye. The accused tried to escape, but was later arrested and taken to the Central Police Station. He disclosed that he was given medical form for treatment and examination at the Connaught hospital, where he was later treated, adding that he returned with the endorsed medical report to the police station and then made his statement to the police. The accused was unrepresented in court and so he cross-examined the witness by himself. He was remanded in custody until 15 April 2025.