PHOTO: L-R Late Journalist Browne and Convict Williams
By Garmah Never Lomo in Tubmanburg, Liberia
The convicted killer of young Liberian Journalist, Tyron Browne, Mr. Jonathan Williams has today, Thursday, March 26, 2020 been sentenced to life imprisonment by the Judge of the 11th Judicial Circuit Court in the Bomi County capital, Tubmanbur, nearly 71 kilometers west of Monrovia.
Judge Nancy Sammy announced the sentence several days after she handed down a guilty verdict for Williams, after ruling that the prosecution had provided convincing evidence to prove the crime of murder.
But defense lawyers have taken exception to the life sentence and announced that they are taking an Appeal to the Supreme Court of Liberia, quoting the Penal Law–51.3 sub-section one on Sentencing and 14.1 concerning the crime of Murder.
The Assistant Justice Minister for Litigation, Cllr. Wesseh A. Wesseh told Journalists on Thursday that convict Williams will shortly be transferred to the National Correction Palace in Zwedru, Grand Gedeh County, southeastern Liberia.
Journalist Browne of Super FM/TV in Monrovia was stabbed to death several times in the Duport Road, Paynesville suburb of Monrovia in 2018. And the trial first started at the Temple of Justice in the Liberian capital.
The case was however transferred to Bomi County based on change of venue motion filed by lawyers representing Jonathan Williams, Cllr. Jallah Barbu and Cllr. Jimmy Bombo, which is a right of any party.
After last Tuesday’s court ruling, the defense team of Williams, who have been pressing for the verdict to be reduced to manslaughter, announced that they are filing an appeal to the Supreme Court of Liberia.
Last year, lawyers representing both defendant Jonathan Williams and defendants Alice Youtee along with Edwina Youtee Cllr.Jimmy Bombo and Jonathan Massaquoi filed a writ of Certiorari to the Justice in Chamber, Her Honor Sie-A-Nyene G. Yuoh.
They requested change of venue for defendant Jonathan Williams, while Cllr. Massaquoi was requesting for separate trial for Alice and Edwina Youtee.
The Writ of Certiorari was filed when the Criminal A judge Roosevelt Z Willie denied both the change of venue and separate trial motions for defendant Williams and defendants Youtee.
Earlier on, defendant Williams told his lawyer representing him that the case should be transferred to Gbapolu County. But state prosecutors came in to defend why only Gbapolu County instead of other nearby counties, something that was defended to the fullest which the judge saw logic in denied that motion.
State prosecutors in their defense said Alice and Edwina Youtee cannot be granted separate trial, because the incident occurred in their presence. They never reported the matter to the police and they were charged with criminal facilitation and hindering of law enforcement.
The Justice in Chamber heard the matter and made determination that defendant Williams should be granted change of venue, while the defendants Alice and Edwina should be granted separate trial. Prosecutors disagreed with the Justice in Chamber and took an appeal to the Full bench of the Supreme Court.
The Appeal taken to the full Beach of the Supreme Court of Liberia said the Writ was argued by both state lawyers headed by Cllr. Corlelius Wander and Edwin Kla Martin; while, the defend lawyers were headed by Cllr. Jallah Barbu and Cllr. Jimmy Bombo and Supreme Court reserved ruling after arguing the Writ of Certiorari.
The Supreme Court therefore ruled granting the change of venue instead of Gbarpolu County as requested by the defense lawyers, it was transferred to Bomi County due to bad road and logistical constraints.