A delivery driver, Amidu Koroma, has been sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 29 years for the murder of his wife, Mariam Kamara, and setting fire to their home in a shocking case. Koroma, 48, brutally stabbed his 46-year-old wife Mariam four times in the face, neck, and chest with a kitchen knife as she slept in her bed.
After committing the heinous crime, Koroma used petrol to set their home on fire, in an attempt to conceal the evidence of his actions. What makes this case even more disturbing is that he falsely accused his 19-year-old son, Ishmael, of being mentally disturbed and re-enacting a scene from the Netflix thriller "You," to divert blame away from himself.
During the trial at the Old Bailey, jurors were presented with evidence that revealed the toxic nature of the couple's relationship. Mariam had repeatedly expressed her fears to friends that Amidu would eventually kill her. The defendant, who had a child with another woman, also feared that Mariam might leave him for a man she had developed an intimate friendship with in Sierra Leone.
Judge Rebecca Poulet KC, in her sentencing, pointed out that Amidu Koroma had meticulously planned the murder, as he did not want Mariam to travel to Sierra Leone. His intention was not only to kill her but also to burn her body to destroy evidence of her injuries. However, careful investigation and the defendant's inconsistent statements exposed his crimes.
Blaming his innocent son for the murder was described as "particularly cruel and unpleasant" by the judge. The case also involved a backdrop of abuse and terrifying threats, and it is notable that the victim's son, then 17 years old, was asleep in the house at the time of the murder.
Contrary to Koroma's claims, his son Ishmael was described as a "typical teenager," and Mariam was portrayed as a "deeply caring and responsible mother" by the judge. In a victim impact statement, Ishmael expressed the deep emotional impact his mother's murder had on him, making it difficult for him to trust anyone.
The court heard that Ishmael had called emergency services in the early hours of January 24, 2022, when a fire broke out in their home in Brixton, south London. Amidu Koroma calmly informed emergency workers that his wife was trapped inside as flames and smoke billowed from the house. Mariam's badly burnt body was later discovered on her bed, surrounded by the smell of petrol.
The investigation revealed an empty jerry can and funnel on the ground floor, and the victim's blood on the banisters near the bottom of the stairs. A post-mortem examination confirmed that Mariam had died from stab wounds to her neck and chest before the fire began.
Despite his initial denial of entering the burning room, it was evident that Koroma had sustained burns on his foot from close proximity to the flames. Analysis of his clothes also revealed heat damage caused by exposure to flames. Moreover, a kitchen knife found in their home was examined and found to have Mariam's blood on it.
Throughout the trial, Amidu Koroma changed his account of the events, initially claiming he had been asleep on the sofa and was woken up by the smoke alarm at 3 am. However, under cross-examination, Ishmael adamantly denied being unstable or responsible for his mother's murder after having a bad parents' evening.
The case serves as a chilling reminder of the devastating consequences of domestic violence and the lengths to which some individuals will go to evade responsibility for their actions. It also highlights the importance of thorough investigations and justice in holding perpetrators accountable for their crimes.
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