PHOTO: Defendant Henry Tucker
By Garmah Never Lomo, garmahlomo@gmail.com
The man who allegedly gunned down and killed a local broadcast Journalist Chris David with a single barrel weapon for allegedly stealing a goat, Henry Tucker has appeared at the 9th Judicial Circuit Court in Gbarnga and pleaded guilty of carrying out the shooting in 2020.
His indictment he pleaded guilty to is the one that was amended from murder to manslaughter.
The court in Liberia’s central Bong County is presided over by resident Circuit Judge, Boimah Kontoe and the defendant made the appearance last Thursday, March 10,2022.
The late Christ David Brown 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 ground that he was provoke by the alleged goat rogue journalist 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, has now 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 this news outlet 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 Baja 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 in Gbarnga Bong County.
Based upon the above mentioned reasons, 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.