Gambia: Man Jailed for Seven Months After Stabbing Brother in Chest

What the report says

A magistrate’s court in The Gambia has sentenced Basiru Sumareh to seven months in prison after he pleaded guilty to attempted murder in a case involving his brother, Baboucarr Sumareh. The ruling was delivered by Magistrate A. Darboe at the Brikama Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, 29 October, according to Foroyaa, which was distributed by AllAfrica.

The court heard that the attack happened on 17 October 2026 in Brikama, in the West Coast Region, when the victim was stabbed in the chest and back with a knife. Prosecutors from the police presented a medical certificate, photographs of the injuries and the knife said to have been used in the assault. Sumareh, who appeared without a lawyer, did not object to the evidence and accepted the facts as stated in court.

In sentencing, the magistrate said the guilty plea and early admission were mitigating factors, but noted that they had to be balanced against the seriousness of the offence and the need to protect the public. The court said a custodial sentence was necessary. Along with the prison term, Sumareh was ordered to pay D100,000 in compensation to the victim, with an additional one-year prison term if the payment is not made. The sentences were ordered to run concurrently.

The case highlights how Gambian courts are applying recent criminal law provisions and sentencing principles in violent family disputes, while also stressing deterrence and public order.