A Gambian brother w
ho killed his brother following an argument over food has lost his fight against death sentence.
Bakary Kanyi of Farafenni stabbed Lamin Camara with a broken bottle in December 2009 after a squabble about him eating food his bare hand.
According court documents, the Camara Kunda family were about to have their dinner when they realised that there was no spoons for the men to eat their food with. The deceased, Lamin Camara, asked his younger brother, Jakaria Camara, to go to the kitchen and get them some spoons.
“While they were waiting for Jakaria, Kany became impatient and tried to eat the food with his bare hand but was told by Lamin to wait for the spoons,” court documents shows.
The pair then began to bicker and Kanyi got angry and stormed out before returning with a broken bottle and stabbed Lamin.
Lamin was rushed to the AFRPC Hospital in Farafenni but died of his injuries soon after arrival.
While Lamin was fighting for his life in hospital, Kanyi tried to flee the country but was arrested in Pakala, Senegal and brought back to the Gambia. He was later tried found guilty of murder and sentenced to death by the high court.
Not happy with the verdict, Kanyi filed an appeal at the Court of Appeal arguing that he was not responsible for Camara’s death and that he was never arrested in Senegal but in his workshop. He also argued that he had never confessed to the crime during his interrogation by the police.
The appeal was however rejected the Court of Appeal for lack of merit.
Undeterred, Kanyi filed an appeal to the Supreme Court asking it to set aside the conviction.
But in its ruling, the court rejected the appeal and sided with the rulings of the lower courts.
The court said it is satisfied that Kanyi had indeed stabbed Camara with the bottle thereby causing his death. It therefore reaffirmed the death sentence.
