The Criminal Division of the Accra High Court presided over by Justice Kofi Dorgu, has upheld an application filed by the family of Gabriel Amihere, who was charged with manslaughter and subsequently sentenced.

According to the presiding judge, the Accra District Court the trial went beyond the six months period as stipulated in the Juvenile Act.

The suspect has been freed and discharged.

The court further indicated that, the family did not err by the mode of the appeal as opposed by the state attorney, Frances Molen Ansah.

Background

The Juvenile Court sentenced the Achimota student who was alleged to have shot his colleague, Lilly Asibetse, to serve 3 years in a correctional home.

Accra FM court correspondent, Ama Brako Ampofo, who was in court on Friday, September 22 reported that the trial judge, Benardine S. A. Senoo, found the accused guilty and handed him the sentence after the trial went on for seven months.

The accused, aged 17, is said to have gone for his father’s gun under his bed with the intent of firing into the air, but ended up killing his friend, Lilly Asigbetse, a third year student of Achimota School.

The facts, as narrated, were that at about 2pm on January 4 2017, the deceased, who lived at Cantonments, visited the accused at Community 8 in Tema. While there, according to the prosecution, the accused went to his father's room and picked up his single barrelled gun and shot the victim in the abdomen.

When questioned, the accused told the police that he had intended shooting into the air, but the bullet changed course and hit the deceased.

Madam Gifty Billy, a neighbour, heard the gunshot and went to the scene only to see the victim lying in a pool of blood.

Ms Billy said she rushed the deceased to the Port Clinic at Tema. However, due to the condition of the victim, she was transferred to the 37 Military Hospital in Accra, where she died on admission.