By Alimatu Jalloh
Freetown, November 19, 2025 – Thirty-two-year-old Joseph Turay, an unemployed man, has been sentenced to 18 months imprisonment after pleading guilty to a charge of larceny before Magistrate John Manso Fornah at Pademba Road Court No.2 in Freetown.
According to court records, on Monday, October 27, 2025, at No. 28 Lucost Street, Kossor Town in the Western Area, Turay stole an iPhone 11 Pro Max valued at Le9,000, an Infinix Android mobile phone, and physical cash amounting to Le850. The total value of the stolen property belonging to Ibrahim Conteh was Le12,350.
When the charge was read and explained, Turay pleaded guilty. Prosecutor Sergeant 3379 Ballay T informed the court that the accused had no previous criminal record and was a first-time offender. She tendered both the caution and charge statements of the defendant, which were admitted into evidence.
Turay, who was not legally represented, pleaded with the Magistrate to temper justice with mercy.
Judgment
In delivering his ruling, Magistrate Fornah noted that although the defendant was a first-time offender and did not waste the court’s time, he had permanently deprived the complainant of his property. He therefore sentenced Turay to serve 18 months at the Male Correctional Facility in Freetown, with the option to restore the stolen items to the complainant.