Tabloid News of Tuesday, 18 May 2004

Source: GNA

Man clubs father to death

Forikrom (B/A), May 18, GNA - The people of Gyitiem in the Techiman Municipality were thrown into a state of anger and disbelief at the weekend when a 40-year-old man clubbed his 85-year-old father to death with a pestle.

The body of Opanin Kwame Sraman, a farmer, has been deposited at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi for autopsy. The Techiman Police Commander Superintendent J.K. Gyempeh who disclosed this to the Ghana News Agency said the suspect, Yaw Ayiso alias "Abu 90", has been arrested and placed in police custody. Supt. Gyempeh said between 7.30 am and 8 am last Friday, the suspect, who had a mental problem came out of his house, stripped himself naked and proceeded to town.

He said the suspect earlier on held one Opanin Kwaku Sakyi, 65-year-old farmer on the neck in an attempt to kill him but was rescued by some passers-by.

Supt. Gyempeh said the deceased, disturbed by the behaviour of his son in town took some cloth along in order to cover his nakedness. Opanin Sraman first decided to go for a rope to tie the suspect and in the act the suspect hit the father from behind with the pestle, repeatedly pounding him like "fufu" and hitting him at several parts of the body including the head and killing him instantly.

Supt. Gyempeh indicated that a retired policeman, who happened to be around the scene managed to calm down the suspect, succeeded in arresting him and sent him to Techiman police station.