A consultant pathologist on Tuesday told the High Court in Banjul that Yunusa Mbaye died from massive external blood loss after suffering a deep stab wound to the neck, as the prosecution continued leading evidence in the murder trial of Mamadou Bah.
Dr. Ousman Leigh, who testified as the prosecution's sixth witness (PW6), said his postmortem examination found that the fatal injury caused extensive damage to the muscles and blood vessels on the left side of the deceased's neck. The case is being heard before Justice Sidi K. Jobarteh.
The State is represented by Counsel M. Jammeh, while the accused, Mamadou Bah, is represented by Counsel C. Mendy and Counsel Samuel Ade from the National Agency for Legal Aid.
Taking the witness stand, Dr Leigh told the court that he lives at Kanifing Estate and has worked as a pathologist for more than 11 years. He said he is currently employed by AQA Company and continues to serve at the Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital (EFSTH) on a contractual basis. The witness further informed the court that before joining AQA Company, he worked at EFSTH for 17 years as a pathologist. During his examination-in-chief, State Counsel M. Jammeh asked Dr. Leigh whether he recalled preparing a postmortem report dated 16 June 2026.
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The witness replied that he did. Asked how he would identify the report, Dr. Leigh told the court that he would recognize it by its contents. The prosecution subsequently sought to tender the postmortem report into evidence. However, Defence Counsel C. Mendy objected to its admission.
Counsel Mendy argued that Dr. Leigh was no longer an employee of the Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital and therefore questioned the admissibility of the document. She submitted that because the witness was not a government employee, the report should not be admitted into evidence and urged the court to reject it. Responding to the objection, State Counsel Jammeh told the court that although Dr. Leigh was no longer a permanent employee of EFSTH, he continued to provide services at the hospital under a contractual arrangement.
The prosecutor argued that the witness remained competent to produce the report and asked the court to dismiss the defence objection. After hearing submissions from both parties, Justice Jobarteh overruled the objection. The trial judge admitted the postmortem report into evidence as an exhibit.
Following the ruling, Counsel Jammeh invited the witness to explain the findings contained in the report. Dr. Leigh told the court that his examination revealed a very deep wound on the left side of Yunusa Mbaye's neck.
According to the witness, the injury caused extensive structural damage to the muscles on the left side of the neck. He further testified that one of the major veins supplying blood to the head, located on the left side and towards the back of the neck, had also been damaged. The pathologist told the court that he also discovered foreign materials embedded in the wound. He said broken pieces of glass were found inside the deceased's neck during the postmortem examination. Summarising his medical findings, Dr Leigh concluded that Yunusa Mbaye died as a result of severe blood loss caused by the stab wound.
"The deceased died due to massive external blood loss resulting from a stab wound that damaged the muscles and blood vessels on the left side of the neck," he testified.
During cross-examination by the defence, Dr Leigh confirmed that he is no longer a permanent government employee. However, he maintained that he continues to work with the Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital under a contractual arrangement.
Following Dr Leigh's testimony, the prosecution called its seventh witness, Ebrima Cham, a police officer attached to the Gambia Police Force.
The witness told the court that he resides in Brikama and was assigned to photograph the body of the deceased during the postmortem examination.
Cham testified that after the body had been formally identified and the postmortem examination commenced, his responsibility was to document the process by taking photographs.
He explained that once the exercise was completed, he transferred the photographs to an official police laptop before producing printed copies.
State Counsel Jammeh asked the witness how many photographs he had taken during the exercise.
Cham responded that he had taken five photographs. The prosecutor then showed the witness the printed photographs. Cham identified them as the same photographs he had taken during the postmortem examination of Yunusa Mbaye. The prosecution subsequently tendered the photographs together with a certificate. The defence did not object. Justice Jobarteh admitted the photographs and certificate into evidence, marking them as Exhibits E1 to E6.
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During cross-examination, Defence Counsel Mendy asked Cham whether he had played any role in the investigation other than taking photographs. The witness replied that he had only been assigned to photograph the postmortem examination.
Counsel further asked him whether he knew the cause of the deceased's death. Cham answered that he did not.
The accused, Mamadou Bah, is charged with murder contrary to Section 155 and punishable under Section 156 of the Criminal Offences Act, 2025. According to the particulars of the charge, the prosecution alleges that on 15 June 2026, at Fajara in the Kanifing Municipality, Mamadou Bah, with malice aforethought, caused the death of Yunusa Mbaye by stabbing him in the neck with a broken bottle.
The court adjourned the matter to 15 October 2026 at 11:00 a.m., when the prosecution is expected to call its eighth witness (PW8).
