PHOTO: Martin Saye handcuffed (in maroon trousers-Right) being led out of the Criminal court
By Garmah Never Lomo, garmahlomo@gmail.com
TEMPLE OF JUSTICE, Monrovia- A young Liberian woman, Arometta Rita Kpayele has to live the rest of her life with only one good eye, as a result of her boyfriend “willfully” plucking his fingers into her right eye, the Criminal Court ‘A” has established and slapped him with jail sentence.
Presided over by the Court’s Resident Judge, Roosevelt Z. Willie has sentenced convict Martin Saye, Jr. three and half years for busting his ex-girlfriend right eyes, as domestic violence incident has gone on the rise in recent times.
Saye, who is believed to be in his 30s, committed the crime of aggravated assault on 14th April 2020 in Bassa Town, Paynesville, outside Monrovia without any legal justification and disregard for human value, and at the same time, with Criminal mind and intent to commit a crime against the dignity of the Republic of Liberia, criminally,” according to the court indictment.
The man was sentenced in Monrovia recently, when Criminal Court Judge Willie said the act of Aggravated Assault was done intentionally by convict Martin Saye.
The maximum sentence for aggravated Assault is five years. But the Judge said based on the good conduct of the convict in his community, he was given three and half years.
Below is the three-count indictment drawn up by State Prosecutor:
That the Grand jury for Montserrado County, Republic of Liberia, upon their oath do hereby find, more probably than not that, defendant Martin Saye Jr. was in violation of 4LCLR, title 26, section 14.20(b) and 4LCRL, title 26, section 2.2(a) and (b) 4LCRL, title 26 section 1.7, committed the Crime of Aggravated Assault, a felony of the second degree.
That the 7th day of May A.D. 2020, defendant Martin Saye Jr, was arrested by officer of Zone nine police deport in Jacob town and acquainted with his constitutional rights, investigated and subsequently charged him with the crime of Aggravated Assault.
To that of count two on the 14th April A.D. 2020, at about 1-2pm in the area of Bassa Town Paynesville, Montserrado County, Republic of Liberia, convict Martin Saye Jr, without any legal justification and disregard for human value, and at the same time, with Criminal mind and intent to commit a crime against the dignity of the Republic of Liberia, criminally, purposely, knowingly, willfully and intentionally caused severe bodily injury to the peaceful body of private prosecutrix Arometta Rita Kpayele by directly inserting his fingers into the right eye of the private prosecutrix, thereby causing damaged and paralyzing the normal function of the private prosecutrix.
Count three added that while, private prosecutrix and convict Martin Saye were in bed on the date and time mentioned above, the convict Saye intentionally sat on her back and thereafter, inserted his fingers directly into her right eye and inhumanly pulled out private prosecutrix right eye hence, burst and damaged same. There and then the crime of Aggravated Assault convict Saye did do and commit.
A person is guilty of Aggravated Assault if he,
(a) Causes serious bodily injury to another purposely, knowingly or recklessly;
(b) purposely or knowingly bodily injury with deadly weapon.
(c) A person engages in conduct purposely if when he engages in the conduct, it is his conscious, objective to engage in conduct of that nature or cause the result of that conduct.
(d) bodily injury means physical pain, illness or any impairment of physical function.