Thiès: A dispute over a door turns into a bloodbath

Twenty-one-year-old mason P. Diallo appeared this Wednesday before the Thiès court for flagrant offenses on charges of intentional assault and battery resulting in a total work incapacity (ITT) of 90 days against S. Sarr. In court, the defendant admitted to the charges against him.

He explained that the incident stemmed from an argument that occurred while he was working at the victim's house. The two men quarreled over a door that the bricklayer was supposed to repair.

According to P. Diallo, after this initial altercation, they arranged to meet at another location to settle their dispute with their fists. The defendant maintains that, during the confrontation, S. Sarr pulled out a knife and attempted to stab him. He claims to have retaliated by wounding S. Sarr with a machete. The injuries were serious; several fingers were cut, resulting in a 90-day period of incapacity for work.

But S. Sarr offered a different version of events. "What he said is false," he declared. He explained that after the initial argument at his home, the defendant's father intervened, leading him to drop the matter. He said he then encountered P. Diallo at the field where the bricklayer challenged him to follow him if he was brave.

During the fight, S. Sarr claims to have gained the upper hand. It was then that P. Diallo retrieved a machete and attacked him, striking him repeatedly in the hand and head. His lawyer, Mr. Sy, demanded 5 million CFA francs in damages. The public prosecutor considered the facts established and requested a sentence of two years, including three months of imprisonment, as well as a fine of 100,000 CFA francs.

The court has taken the case under advisement.