Tabara Samba, who was accused of murdering her husband on 17th March 2007, by pouring hot oil on him, testifies on the 21st August 2007 before Magistrate Jammeh of the Kanifing Magistrates Court. In her testimony, she told the court that the late Ebrima Nyan was her husband. She said they married in 2004. She said that she did not know when the deceased died. She said that she was informed by a police officer at Kairaba Police Station that her husband died. She said that she was never taken to see her husband when he died.

She said that she last saw her husband the day they had a quarrel. She said her elder brother, Ass Malick, named a child after her and said the child visited her in Dakar. She said she brought back the child to The Gambia at the end of her holidays. She said she was supposed to spend three days in The Gambia. She said she went to Bakau where she first met the deceased who stopped her. She said they discussed and she told him that she had brought her namesake and was going to return the following day.

She said this was how their relationship started and they got married a month later. She said she was happy when she married the deceased and that they had a peaceful marriage. She said she used to call the deceased’s uncle and he used to call her mammy. She said she had fulfilled her obligation towards the deceased. She said she never regretted marrying the deceased. She said she had married before but her marriage with the deceased was the best.

She said she still loved the deceased and that she was not prepared to get married again. She denied murdering the deceased by pouring hot oil on him. She said she fought with the deceased in the kitchen. She said the deceased asked her to cook for him at 11p.m. She said she used to cook dishes for the deceased. She said she prepared porridge, which was not enough. She said the deceased had dinner that night and when he came back to the house he told her that he needed some food.

She said she was sitting in the parlour watching TV. She said she got up and went to the kitchen and the deceased thought she was angry because of the fight they had during the day. She said the deceased then insulted her mother and said she was slow with the cooking. She said the deceased was fond of insulting her. She said she could not be angry with the deceased because of the respect she had for him.

She said the deceased was smoking marijuana to cure the asthma he was suffering from. She said after the deceased had smoked the marijuana, he came into the kitchen and insulted her again. She said she told him that the insult was too much and that she would insult him if he continued insulting her. She said she also insulted him and he hit her on the neck. She said she fell on the ground and decided to switch off the gas.

She said the deceased hit her with a knife and she was cut on her head and finger. She said there was a scar to that effect. She said after she retaliated the deceased ran into the bathroom where she followed him. She said the deceased also ran into the bedroom and she followed him there. She said the deceased asked her to leave him there. She said she turned on the shower. She said she apologized to the deceased and told him that she was frightened and did not intend to hit him.

She said she took out a blue gown for the deceased to wear. She said the deceased asked her to give him his car key and he went out. She said she accompanied the deceased to Lamtoro Clinic. She said nobody came to their aid when the incident happened.