‘Faith healer’ has jail appeal thrown out Man who conned women out of £140k must serve 7½ years
A“DESPICABLE” so-called faith healer from Birmingham who preyed on desperate victims has failed to convince top judges his severe jail term should be cut.
Abdoulie Gassama, 35, of Slade Road, Erdington, conned more than £140,000 out of three women.
He claimed he could solve their problems with prayers and exotic animal sacrifices.
Gassama “systematically and callously” stole their money by posing as a socalled faith healer, Ms Justice Russell told London’s Appeal Court.
He advertised his services in newspapers, calling himself Shaikh Jammal or Shaikh Riyad.
Despite being in his 30s, he said he had 40 years of experience, could help with any problem at all and offered great results. He targeted “emotionally vulnerable people” who had turned to him in desperation. They handed over thousands of pounds for prayers, materials and sacrifices of animals in Africa.
More than £134,000 was stolen from one women alone. And if his victims tried to stop paying him, he said terrible things would happen to the victim and their family. One victim was told her daughter would die if she didn’t shell out more cash.
Gassama admitted 18 counts of fraud, and two of theft, as well as laundering the stolen money. He was jailed for seven-and-a-half years at Birmingham Crown Court on June 16 last year. But his lawyers argued his prison term was far too tough and ought to be cut.
However Ms Justice Russell said the victims – none of whom were wealthy – had lost their life savings.
Gassama used much of the money to fund construction work in The Gambia, she added. And that meant his ill-gotten gains were unrecoverable and out-ofreach.
“These were despicable crimes,” said the judge, who was sitting with Lord Justice Davis and Judge David Stockdale QC. “They caused long-term, long-lasting distress.”
Gassama deliberately targeted vulnerable people and fed off their distress, the judge added.
Once he had them in thrall he extracted every bit of money he could from them.
While his jail term was severe it was not manifestly excessive or wrong in principle, the judge concluded.