By: Isatou Sarr
The Brikama Magistrates’ Court on Thursday sentenced Malick Jatta to five years imprisonment after finding him “guilty” on two counts of assault with intent to steal and stealing.
Presiding Magistrate A. Fofana handed down Jatta two years’ imprisonment on the first count and three years on the second, to run consecutively.
According to court records, the incident occurred on December 16, 2023, around midnight at Yarambamba in the West Coast Region. On the first count, Jatta was charged under Section 275 of the Criminal Code for assaulting Mariama Kombo with intent to steal.
On the second count, he was charged under Section 252 of the Criminal Code for stealing a bag from the victim containing D17,000 in cash, a router valued at D3,300, a Reliance Financial Services savings book, an iPhone 13 Pro Max valued at D45,000, and various makeup items of unspecified value.
Jatta initially pleaded not guilty. Prosecutor Sgt. E. Jallow, representing the Inspector General of Police, called witnesses to testify.
During his testimony on August 7, 2025, Jatta admitted that his intention was to steal the victim’s bag. He told the court that he approached Kombo under the pretext of helping her cross the road, but attempted to snatch her bag instead. He was caught and beaten by bystanders before being handed over to the police.
In delivering judgment, Magistrate Fofana said the prosecution had proven its case beyond reasonable doubt on both counts, warranting a custodial sentence to serve as a deterrent.
Jatta will serve a total of five years behind bars.
