Farmer slashes girlfriend, baby

Angered by his girlfriend’s refusal to sleep with him in the bush on the grounds that it was a taboo to do so there, Yaw Badu, alias Agya Koo; a farmer, hacked Abena Agyeiwaa and their two month-old baby at Breman Kuntanase in the Central Region.

And as if that was not enough, Agya Koo, reportedly dragged his victim from the farm into the nearby bush and raped her before fleeing into hiding.

He, however, could not hide ad infinitum as the long arm of the law eventually gripped him and hauled him into prison for nine years in hard labour on each of the two counts, which run concurrently.

On his first appearance before the Agona Swedru Circuit Court on two counts of causing harm to Agyeiwaa and the baby, Agya Koo’s plea was not taken and so was remanded for a fortnight.

On his second appearance on September 20, 2011, however, the court, presided over by Mr K.E. Osam, convicted him on his own plea of guilty and slapped him with the jail term.

The facts, as narrated by Chief Inspector Ivy Agadia, were that Agyeiwaa was Badu’s concubine with whom he lived at Bremen Kuntanase and they had a daughter, Yaa Atta.

According to Ms Agadia, the family left for the farm on August 9, 2011 and whilst on the farm, Badu requested to sleep with Agyeiwaa who declined on the grounds that it was a taboo to do so in the bush.

She said that Agyeiwaa’s reply was not acceptable to machete wielding Badu who threatened to kill her if she did not agree to his demands and inflicted several machete wounds on her and the child who received two hits from the machete.

Chief Inspector Agadia said after smashing the child, he hit Agyeiwaa’s jaw with the machete till she fell unconscious.

She said Agya Koo then dragged her to the nearby bush and raped her after which he abandoned them to their fate and bolted.

The prosecutor said Agyeiwaa’s groans attracted a witness, who was passing by, to the scene and found Agyeiwaa lying naked with her baby beside her.

“The passer-by raised an alarm which drew sympathisers who assisted the local Asafo Company to convey the victims to the Our Lady of Grace Hospital at Bremen Asikuma,” he said.

The police, upon receipt of the information, went to the scene and found the blood-soaked skirt and a cap belonging to Agyeiwaa.

Chief Inspector Agadia further told the court that the police flushed out Badu from his hide-out in the bush at Bremen Nwomaso on August 18, 2011 and he admitted the offence in his caution statement.