Tarkwa (W/R), March, 27, GNA- A woman striped herself naked at a Tarkwa Circuit Court probably to convince the judge that she was mentally challenged.

Lucy Asare, who was accused of stealing a one and a half year old girl, removed her dress leaving her underwear, which was soaked with urine when her case was called.

But when the Judge, His Lordship John Ajet Nasam ordered that the accused should be sent on remand and re-appear on April 8, 2008, the woman said she would not go back to the cells again. She did not even allow the Court Warrant Officer to touch her, but she obeyed the Prosecutor, Inspector Florence Tawiah of Tarkwa Police and calmly walked to the Police Station to start her remand. Her plea was not taken.

Prosecuting, Inspector Tawiah said the complainant Esther Baidoo, is an unemployed, who lives at Bogoso near Tarkwa and the accused Lucy a labourer, who lives at Mim near Abrafo in the Central Region. She said on March 14, 2008, both the complainant and the accused boarded the same vehicle from Takoradi to Tarkwa. On their way to Tarkwa the husband of the complainant, who was also in the vehicle was carrying one of the two children of the complainant, who were also in the vehicle.

Inspector Tawiah said when the vehicle got to the Tarkwa main lorry station both the complainant and the husband alighted and started looking for another vehicle to continue to Bogoso, which was their last destination.

She said the accused, who claimed she was also going to Bogoso volunteered to carry one of the children of the complainant aged one half years to enable them to handle their many luggage. As the husband was looking for a vehicle the complainant left the girl in the care of the accused and attended to nature's call. On her return, she could not find the accused and the child, so she lodged a complaint at the Police Station.

She later saw the accused at the Tarkwa Post Office area with the child and confronted her and tried to take her baby back, but the accused refused claiming to be the mother of the child. The accused behaviour attracted a Police Officer who was passing-by and sent the accused together with the child to Police Station and a report was made.