Crime & Punishment of Friday, 22 September 2017

Source: GNA

Wife killer's case adjourned to October 10

Owusu, aged 56, who is being held for murder and causing harm, had his plea reserved Owusu, aged 56, who is being held for murder and causing harm, had his plea reserved

The case of Thomas Kofi Owusu, a block manufacturer, who allegedly battered his wife to death with a hoe and purportedly injured his seven-year-old stepson at Denchira in the Ga West municipality, has been adjourned to October 10.

On Wednesday, Detective Chief Inspector Simon Apiorsornu prosecuting, told the court that the police were waiting for the advice on the case docket from the Attorney General’s Department.

Meanwhile, the district court presided over by Worlanyo Kotoku, has tasked the police to furnish the court with Owusu’s medical report since he had complained about his inability to sleep after the incident.

On August 5, this year, Owusu collapsed in court when he was asked to enter the dock for his case to be heard.

Soon after the case was adjourned, the accused was rushed to the Police Hospital.

Owusu is alleged to have smashed the head of his wife and wounded her (wife’s) son with a hoe several times following a misunderstanding.

He allegedly locked the deceased and her injured son in a room and reported himself to the police at Amasaman, near Accra, last year.

Owusu, aged 56, who is being held for murder and causing harm, had his plea reserved.

The case as presented by the prosecutor was that Faustina Esinu Owusu, aged 40 years, was the wife of Owusu and they had been married for the past four years.

Owusu and Faustina lived at Denchira, near Amanfrom in the Greater Accra Region.

According to Detective Chief Inspector Apiorsornu, the accused and Faustina lived with her son, Benedict Agboada, and Comfort Akoto, also a niece of the deceased aged 13 years.

On October 30, last year at about 2030 hours, Owusu went to the Amasaman police station and reported that he had killed his wife Faustina and injured his stepson, Agboada, and had locked them up in their room.

The police immediately arrested Owusu and escorted him to his house where they found his wife in a pool of blood dead in their living room whilst his stepson was lying beside his mother with severe wounds on his head and gasping for breath.

According to the Prosecutor, Agboada was rushed to the Amasaman Government Hospital for treatment and later transferred to the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital where he was receiving treatment at the Intensive Care Unit.

Detective Chief Inspector Apiorsornu said the body of Faustina was initially deposited at the Police Hospital but had since been transferred to the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital awaiting autopsy.