By: Isatou Sarr
The Banjul Magistrates’ Court, Tuesday handed over eight years jail term to a Senegalese labourer who had pleaded “guilty” to burglary and stealing from a workshop.
Principal Magistrate M. Krubally handed down the sentence to convict, Mamudu Saidy, also known as Mamudu Jallow who had admitted breaking into a workshop and stealing a range of industrial tools.
The court heard that the incident occurred in March 2026 along Laswharf Street, where the complainant, Ebrima Sarr, had secured his workshop the previous evening. On returning the following morning, he found the premises forcibly opened and several items missing, including a grinding machine, jigsaws, a drilling machine, a sander, and other tools.
Sarr’s efforts to trace the stolen property led to a breakthrough after he alerted neighbouring carpenters. He later received information that someone was attempting to sell tools matching the description he had given. Acting on the tip off, he confronted the accused at a nearby workshop before reporting the matter to the Crab Island Police station.
Following his arrest, Saidy led officers to his residence, where most of the stolen items were recovered. However, three tools had already been sold at Serrekunda market and were not retrieved.
During court proceedings, the charges were interpreted into Fula, a language the accused understood. Saidy admitted to the offences, telling the court he acted out of desperation.
In his plea for leniency, he said he was the sole surviving male in his family and supported his mother financially. He expressed concern that news of his imprisonment could affect her health.
Despite this, Magistrate Krubally stressed the seriousness of the offence, noting the lasting impact theft can have on victims.
The court then sentenced Saidy to five years for burglary and three years for stealing, with the sentences to run consecutively. He was also ordered to pay D7,500 in compensation for the unrecovered items or serve an additional six months in default.
In addition, the court directed prison authorities to provide the convict with vocational training during his time in custody, aimed at equipping him with skills upon release.
