Monrovia- Forty-year-old Sarah Sayplay was seen on the defendant bench at the Monrovia City Court weeping as she received the writ of arrest by the court’s staff.
Report by Bettie K. Johnson Mbayo, [email protected]
Sayplay is charged for manslaughter for recklessly causing the death of John Kono by injuring his head several times with a rock, after he stoned and wounded her three-year old daughter’s on the head.
The victim was pronounced dead at the John F. Kennedy (JFK) hospital a day following the incident.
Police investigation established that on December 3, of this year at 2000 hrs, the victim and his friend Jersey King came from a party and went into the community (Weasay, Fiamah).
The victim was very drunk and began throwing stones and using profane languages, which cause some of the community dwellers to run helter scatter for fear of being hit by the stones.
A community dweller, Charles Willie, told investigators that the victim sister, Ruth Kono, was in bed at the time,but was called to come and put her brother under control, because he was misbehaving.
When his sister arrived to put him under control, he (victim) used insults against Willie’s mother and he (Willie) got angry and slapped the victim in the face twice.
“After Willie slapped him, the victim stoned and injured the head of a three-year-old girl name Abigail Sayplay, who cried and ran to her mother Sarah Sayplay, the defendant.”
“At the same time the victim was about to take another stone from the ground, when Willie held him to avoid him from throwing further stone, while being restrained, the defendant took a rock and angrily hit the victim’s head, leading him to fall to the ground.
According to reports, she again hit his head with the rock and while attempting the third time, Willie grabbed her hand.”
The Police investigation revealed that while the victim was on the ground, Edward, Amadu, Abel Kladeh and Gonpu to be identified, beat the victim and fled the scene and are currently at-large.
The victim’s sister could not restrain him so she pleaded for help to take him to his room instead of a hospital until his condition improve the next evening.
“It was revealed that due to the victim’s deteriorating condition, he was then rushed to the JFK Medical Center, where he was admitted and died.”
The Police said there were no history of previous misunderstanding or conflict that occurred between the victim and the defendant.
Medical certificate shows that the victim died from respiratory failure, resulting from severe traumatic brain injury, which is consistent with the witness statement that the victim was hit on his head several times.
Police said there was no evidence to establish the link or involvement of Willie with the death of the victim.