Crime & Punishment of Friday, 17 September 2004

Source: GNA

Court remands carpenter in custody

Ejisu (Ash), Sept 17, GNA - The Ejisu magistrate court on Tuesday remanded a 30-year-old carpenter in prison custody for causing harm. Francis Appiah's plea was not taken and will re-appear on September 24.

Police Chief Inspector A.K. Danquah told the court that on September 9, this year, Appiah who lives in the same house with Bernice Fosua, a trader, who also prepares chips for sale, asked her (Fosua) not to fry chips in the house again.

He said the victim pleaded with the accused not to stop her from preparing the chips in the house since it was her only means of livelihood.

Chief Inspector Danquah said on September 11, at about 12.15 pm, the victim was kneading the flour on the table on the corridor of the house when Appiah forcibly tried to take the table and flour away from the victim.

This, he said, therefore generated into a struggle between the accused and the victim and in the process, Fosua hit the back of the head of Appiah with a ruler she uses for the chips and he had a cut. The prosecutor said this infuriated the accused who entered his room and took a cutlass and inflicted serious wounds on her knee cap, head, both hands and thighs.

Chief Inspector Danquah said neighbours around who hear her screams rushed to her rescue and send her to the Juaben hospital in a critical condition and was referred to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in Kumasi.

Appiah, he said, was therefore arrested and handed over to the Ejisu police.