Crime & Punishment of Thursday, 27 September 2018

Source: ghananewsagency.org

Psychiatric patient kills father

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A 42-year-old psychiatric patient on Wednesday, allegedly killed his 74-year-old father at Tema Community Eight.

Chief Superintendent of Police Stephen K. Kwakye, Tema Community One District Commander, confirming the incident to the Ghana News Agency, said the deceased, Mr John Edward, was pronounced dead on arrival at the Tema General Hospital where he was rushed for medical care.

Chief Supt Kwakye stated that Seth Ofori, the suspect, was a psychiatric patient who had been arrested severally for threatening his father who he resided with.

He added that the Community One Police had received numerous reports of threat against the suspect saying, his outfit had arrested him on several occasions and sent him to the Pantang Psychiatric Hospital for treatment.

According to him, Ofori was released to the family from the hospital without the knowledge of the Police.

He indicated that on September 26, a similar threat of harm report was made at the Community Police One station against him by his father and he was subsequently apprehended.

Chief Supt noted that the victim later returned to the station for his son informing the Station Officer that he had hired a vehicle to send him to the psychiatric hospital.

The Station Officer however received a message at about 13:00 hours that the suspect had hit his father’s head with an object and as a result he had lost consciousness.

The District Commander said Police personnel where discharged to the scene, arrested the suspect and took the father to the hospital, but he was pronounced dead on arrival.

He stated that Ofori, who was currently on detention at the Community One Police Station had to be handcuffed as his rowdy behavior was a threat to other inmates.

He pleaded with authorities of the various psychiatric hospitals to find a way of keeping such voilent psychiatric patients for treatment and observation instead of releasing them to their families as they could harm people.