By Sainabou Sambou
Yugo Sowe, the man accused of attempting to murder his wife by hacking her with a cutlass, took the stand as Defence Witness One and firmly rejected the charges against him during intense cross-examination in the High Court of Banjul on Monday.
Presided over by Justice Ebrima Jaiteh, the trial saw State Counsel F. Drammeh lead the prosecution while FC Anyguwu represented the accused. Sowe faces five counts stemming from an alleged attack on Amie Sowe on November 16, 2023, at Brikama Jalambang in the West Coast Region. The charges include attempted murder contrary to Section 200 of the Criminal Code, grievous harm (Section 214), acts intended to cause grievous harm (Section 212), wounding (Section 217), and domestic violence under Section 17(2) of the Domestic Violence Act.
The prosecution alleges that Sowe attacked Amie Sowe—his wife of 25 years—with a cutlass, inflicting severe injuries to her legs, arms, and other parts of her body with the intent to kill her.
Under cross-examination, Sowe, a former donkey cart driver and cattle herder, told the court he had been ill and remained in bed on the day of the incident rather than going to work. He claimed no knowledge of the exact time events unfolded and insisted he did not visit the scene independently. Instead, he said he arrived later, accompanied by police, where he found Amie Sowe conscious in her house. In the presence of officers, she reportedly identified him as her attacker, stating he had chopped her with a cutlass. Sowe confirmed this led to his immediate arrest and transfer to the Anti-Crime Unit.
Police subsequently searched the home he shared with his wife, Dado, recovering a cutlass from under his bed and a green haftan (traditional shirt). Sowe acknowledged the items were found but disputed their connection to the crime. When the prosecution asserted that Amie Sowe had testified that the green hat matched what he wore during the attack, defence counsel objected, arguing she had not said so explicitly. Justice Jaiteh overruled the objection after confirming the court record supported the prosecution’s claim.
Sowe maintained the haftan was what he wore when he later sought help, not during any assault. He denied leaving his house to attack Amie, attributing his nighttime absence from the bedroom solely to diarrhoea that kept him in the toilet for an extended period. He said Dado remained in the room and brought him water, adding that it was the middle of the night and others were asleep.
The prosecution accused him of feigning illness to slip out and commit the attack. Sowe rejected this, insisting his sickness made such actions impossible. When confronted with testimony from his son, Abdoulie Sowe—who allegedly witnessed the cutting—questioned the boy’s account, noting he could not recall the colour of the shirt. Sowe said he could not specify his son’s age.
Regarding his marital history, Sowe confirmed that his 25-year marriage to Amie was marked by frequent disputes, leading to separation. Family interventions failed to resolve issues. He denied divorcing her three times, admitting only one divorce, after which he alternated stays between Amie’s and Dado’s homes. He acknowledged familiarity with Amie’s compound layout, enabling easy access.
The prosecution highlighted prior conflicts, including Sowe selling land allegedly belonging to Amie without consent and reporting matters to the Alkalo (village head). Sowe countered that he initiated the Alkalo complaint and that Amie requested the land but not a refund. He admitted selling a cow belonging to Amie for D7,000, giving her D1,500 at her request after initially claiming it went missing. Though she was unhappy, he said she accepted it after he bought her a bed.
The prosecution sought to tender Exhibits P5 (cutlass), P7 (green haftan), and P3 (wrapper). Sowe identified the cutlass as the one recovered but contested the haftan, claiming he wore it at the time of arrest, after which police confiscated it at the station and provided another shirt.
Concluding the cross-examination, the prosecution put it to Sowe that marital disputes and grievances motivated the attack, after which he hid the cutlass under his bed. Sowe denied everything, insisting he never went to Amie’s house or assaulted her.
In re-examination, defence counsel sought to clarify bloodstains on Sowe’s shirt, suggesting police made him sit on a blood-stained bed. The prosecution objected, and Justice Jaiteh ruled on a related question leading.
The case was adjourned to Monday, February 23, for continuation.
