Wife Left Permanently Disabled as Court Jails Husband for…

Wife Left Permanently Disabled as Court Jails Husband for…

When Amie Sowe woke up in the early hours of 16 November 2023, she found herself fighting for her life. The mother from Brikama Jalambang had been attacked with a cutlass in what the High Court has now described as a deliberate and premeditated assault intended to kill her. The injuries were devastating. She suffered multiple fractures, deep cuts, nerve damage, tendon injuries and permanent disability. More than two years later, her attacker, who was her husband, Yugo Sowe, also known as Gorgi Sowe, has been sentenced to life imprisonment. In a judgment delivered on Monday, 22 June 2026, Justice Ebrima Jaiteh of the High Court in Banjul convicted Sowe on five criminal charges arising from the attack and sentenced him to life imprisonment on the most serious count of acts intended to cause grievous harm. The court also imposed prison terms on the remaining counts, including attempted murder, grievous harm, wounding and domestic violence. “The attack on the victim was premeditated,” Justice Jaiteh said during sentencing. “The convict used a dangerous weapon and caused permanent disability. He showed no remorse during the course of the trial.” The judge added that the evidence before the court showed that the convict intended to kill his wife. The case shocked many Gambians when details first emerged in November 2023. Prosecutors alleged that on 16 November 2023, Yugo Sowe attacked his wife (Amie Sowe) with a cutlass at their home in Brikama Jalambang in the West Coast Region. The State charged him with five offences: attempted murder, grievous harm, acts intended to cause grievous harm, wounding and domestic violence. According to the indictment, Sowe hacked his wife on her legs, arms and other parts of her body, causing severe injuries and permanent disability. The matter later proceeded before the High Court, where prosecutors argued that the attack was not accidental but a calculated act of violence directed at a vulnerable victim. Throughout the trial, the State called five witnesses, while the defence called two witnesses, including the accused himself. The prosecution team was led by State Counsels Masarr Sarr and Abdoulie Badjie, while the convict was represented by the National Agency for Legal Aid (NALA). In his judgment, Justice Jaiteh said the court carefully examined all the evidence, including witness testimony, documentary exhibits and the defence put forward by the accused. He said the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt. Central to the State’s case was the testimony of Amie Sowe herself. Justice Jaiteh described her evidence as direct, consistent and credible. “The evidence of PW3, Amie Sowe, was direct, consistent, credible and compelling,” the judge said. “She positively identified the accused as the person who attacked her with a cutlass.” The court found that her account remained consistent throughout cross-examination and was supported by other witnesses. An eyewitness, identified during the trial as PW4, al…

Source: Foroyaa Gambia