Man Sentenced to Death for Murder of 62-Year-Old Woman in Fajara Home Invasion

The High Court in Bundung has sentenced Ousainou Jallow to death after convicting him of the murder of 62-year-old Binta Gassama during a violent home invasion in September 2022.

Delivering judgment on Tuesday, 19 May 2026, Justice I. Janneh found Jallow guilty on two counts—murder and robbery—describing the offence as one of “exceptional gravity.” The court held that Jallow suffocated the victim in her bathroom during the course of a robbery.

Jallow’s co-accused, Lamin Jammeh, who was a minor at the time of the offence, was also found guilty. He has been referred to the Kanifing Children’s Court for sentencing in accordance with the Children’s Act, 2005, and will remain in juvenile detention pending that proceeding.

The court heard that in the early hours of 4 September 2022, Jallow and Jammeh broke into the home of Binta Gassama in the Fajara South Atlantic area. Evidence showed the two had earlier been at a nightclub in Senegambia before targeting the victim’s residence.

They scaled the compound fence around 4:00 a.m. and waited for several hours. To lure the victim outside, they threw stones and charcoal at the gate. When Gassama emerged to investigate, the pair attacked her. The court found that Jallow restrained her by the neck while Jammeh covered her mouth, suffocating her until she became motionless.

They then dragged her into the bathroom, turned on the shower, and proceeded to ransack the house. Items stolen included mobile phones, a tablet, a router, jewelry, a car key, and cash. These were later sold at the Serrekunda black market.

The victim was discovered later that morning by her daughter, Sally Fiah, who became concerned after repeated calls went unanswered. Upon arriving at the house, she found the premises unlocked and water flowing from the bathroom. Inside, she discovered her mother lying unresponsive under a running shower, with a cloth covering her mouth and nose.

Gassama was taken to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

A post-mortem conducted by Professor Gabriel Olebiyi Ogun concluded that the cause of death was asphyxiation due to smothering and neck compression, compounded by blunt force trauma. The injuries were consistent with a sustained and violent assault.

Both accused were arrested within days following a police tip regarding one of the victim’s stolen phones. Investigators recovered several stolen items, including a Samsung phone traced through multiple buyers and an iPhone hidden in bushes in Bakau, based on Jallow’s directions.

The court relied heavily on confessional statements from both accused, which it found to be detailed, consistent, and corroborated by physical evidence. Justice Janneh ruled that the statements contained facts unlikely to have been fabricated by investigators.

Jallow denied involvement, claiming he was at his tailoring workshop at the time and that his statement was obtained under duress. His alibi witness, however, failed to account for his whereabouts during the critical hours of the crime.

Jammeh also challenged the voluntariness of his statement, citing the absence of a parent or guardian during questioning. The court admitted the statements after a voir dire, ruling that the issue affected weight rather than admissibility.

Justice Janneh rejected both defences, describing the alibi as “belated and unsubstantiated,” and applied the doctrine of recent possession, noting that the accused failed to provide credible explanations for their possession of stolen items.

In sentencing, the court acknowledged mitigating factors, including Jallow’s status as a first-time offender with a young family. However, Justice Janneh emphasized the aggravating circumstances: the victim’s vulnerability, the premeditated nature of the attack, the extreme violence involved, and the lack of remorse.

On the murder conviction, Jallow was sentenced to death, with the court noting that the applicable law mandates the death penalty. On the robbery conviction, he received life imprisonment, with both sentences to run concurrently.

“This was not a momentary loss of control,” Justice Janneh stated. “It was a prolonged, deliberate, and brutal assault upon a vulnerable and defenceless woman in her own residence.”

Jallow was informed of his right to appeal within ten days of the judgment.

Meanwhile, Jammeh’s sentencing will be determined separately by the Children’s Court under juvenile justice provisions.