Defendant Henry Tucker who allegedly shot and killed journalist Chris David in Gbarnga, Bong County for allegedly stealing his goat has pleaded guilty to the indictment.
He pleaded guilty last Thursday before Judge Boimah Kontoe of the 9th Judicial Circuit Court.
The victim was an announcer at the Catholic run Radio Paraclete in Gbarnga.
Defendant Tucker was initially indicted for the crime of murder but due to the nature of the case , his indictment was amended to manslaughter on ground that he was provoked by the alleged goat and his conspirator Prince Garlawulo.
Prince Garlawulo was initially on the run for the crime of armed robbery when he journalist Chris David Brown was involved into this incident.
The defendant was indicted during the November A.D. 2020 term of court.
Defendant Tucker who has spent one year in prison pleaded guilty in open court after his amended indictment was read to him.
His manslaughter indictment was done through a pre-bargaining on March 8,2022 by state prosecutor headed by Bong County Attorney Jonathan Flomo and affirmed by public defender Cllr. Mohammeh Golafalley
According to the Public defender of Bong County, Cllr. Mohammeh Golafalley, there was sufficient evidence of murder against defendant Tucker.
Public defender Golafalley added that all the elements of murder were lacking to hold the defendant for murder.
Murder constitutes malice, intent, pre-meditation and in difference to human life and all of these elements were lacking to hold the defendant for the crime of murder.
Cllr. Golafalley informed local media that his client, Tucker, did the shooting in self-defense when the journalist and his co-conspirator Prince Garlawolu rushed on him with a black Bajaj motorbike to hit him after stealing his goat from his farm.
After the shooting, the purported journalist didn’t die on the scene but they continued their journey when his lifeless body was discovered in a nearby creek on the Lofa road.
Both the County Attorney Jonathan Flomo and public defender Mohammeh Golafalley entered into a pre-bargaining on ground that he used excessive force by shooting the victim from the back.
Meanwhile, the probation office at the Ministry of Justice has been given five days to do a pre-sentence report on the defendant character in order for the judge to make an informed decision.
The maximum sentence for manslaughter is five years but the defendant has spent one year in prison
Reported by Garma Lomoh
