Koforidua, July 30, GNA - The Koforidua High Court, presided over by Mr Justice Samuel Marfo-Sau, has sentenced a 29-year-old goldsmith, Eric Osei, to death by hanging for murdering his wife. After passing the sentence, following a unanimous verdict of guilty by a 7-member jury, the Judge made the court to observe a minute's silence for the soul of the convict and reminded him that he had the right to appeal within three months.

The facts of the case were that, Osei and the deceased, Ernestina Fulera, were living in Accra.

Sometime in 2001, Osei impressed upon the deceased, who became ill following the death of their three-month old baby, that they come to his relatives at Koforidua to enable Ernestina undergo herbal treatment. The deceased complied but ignored a warning from Osei that he should not inform any of her relatives of their plan to travel to Koforidua.

When they got to Koforidua in the night, Osei asked the deceased to wait for him at the Ascension Presbyterian Primary School, while he went to his mother's house to check if she was around.

On his return after a long time, Osei came to meet the deceased asleep on a piece of cloth she had laid on the floor and hit her head with a concrete block killing her instantly.

The convict after the act left the deceased there and returned to Accra to enquire about her whereabouts from her relatives, not knowing that the deceased had informed them of their journey before leaving. The relatives who then suspected foul play, made a report to the police who arrested Osei.

An Accra FM station announced that a dead body had been found at Koforidua and the body was later identified to be that of the deceased. Upon interrogation, Osei confessed and was put before the court.