'Cold' feeling over Gambia charge

A man who went to Africa to look for a missing family friend has said he 
felt "a cold emptiness" when the pensioner's wife was charged with murder. 
David Jenkins flew to The Gambia to look for William West, 76, from St 
Helen's Park, Hastings, East Sussex after he went missing three weeks ago.

Mr West's burnt body was found in a sack near his holiday home last week. 
His Ghanaian-born wife Kate, 26, has been charged with murder but denies any 
involvement in Mr West's death. Mr Jenkins, who flew from the UK to The 
Gambia with Mrs West, said he found it hard to describe his feelings when 
she was charged.

Kate helped him a lot - he certainly became a happier man David Jenkins

"Obviously there was deep sadness but all I can remember feeling is empty," 
he said.

"I was very close to Kate during the time that the body was recovered.

"A couple of people have asked me if I felt angry but the honest truth is 
that I didn't - it was a cold emptiness."

Mr West went missing while he and his wife were staying at their holiday 
home in Sanyang, The Gambia.

His remains were found outside the perimeter fence of the four-bedroom 
property.

Mr West's first wife, Doris, whom friends said was the love of his life, 
died in 1994.


He married Kate six years ago, just months after the couple met in The 
Gambia, and returned to live with her in Hastings.

"She helped him a lot - he certainly became a happier man - and in practical 
terms, the house ran smoothly," said Mr Jenkins.

Police in The Gambia have said his second wife was a beneficiary of Mr 
West's will.

Two men are also being questioned and a forensic examination is being 
carried out to determine the cause of death.

Gambia Police spokesman Aziz Bojang said they would accept an offer from the 
British High Commission to help with the forensic work.

"We are looking at the case from the point when Mr West was burnt to 
establish exactly what happened," he said.

"We are looking at the possibility that Mr West was murdered and that 
burning took place just as a means of disposal.

"We cannot confirm that he was burnt alive but that still remains a remote 
possibility."

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/uk_news/england/southern_counties/5210456.stm

Published: 2006/07/24 14:44:37 GMT

© BBC MMVI

¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤
To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface
at: http://listserv.icors.org/archives/gambia-l.html

To Search in the Gambia-L archives, go to: http://listserv.icors.org/SCRIPTS/WA-ICORS.EXE?S1=gambia-l
To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to:
[log in to unmask]
¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤