By Elizabeth Kamara
Augustine Smith has been sentenced to 24 months imprisonment by Magistrate Sahr Kekura at Pademba Road Court No. 1 in Freetown after pleading guilty to stealing Le28,000 (NLe28) from the bank account of Salamatu Sankoh using her ATM card.
Smith was charged with one count of larceny under Section 2 of the Larceny Act of 1916.
According to the charge sheet, on August 15, 2024, at the United Bank for Africa (UBA) on Rawdon Street in Freetown, Smith unlawfully withdrew Le28,000 from Sankoh’s account using her ATM card.
During his court appearance, Smith admitted to the crime and pleaded for leniency, explaining that he and the complainant share a child and that he had taken the money to fund a travel plan through Q-Net, which ultimately failed.
Sankoh refuted Smith’s claim that they lived together, clarifying that while they share a child, he is not fulfilling his responsibilities as a father.
She explained that Smith has access to her room, where he occasionally stays, and that she had saved the stolen money in her bank account to care for their child.
Magistrate Kekura, after considering Smith’s plea and the circumstances of the case, sentenced him to serve 24 months at the Male Correctional Facility.
The magistrate emphasized the seriousness of betraying trust, especially involving money intended for a child’s welfare.
