Man jailed 10 years for trying to kill wife

Goaso (B/ A) Oct 5, GNA - A circuit court at Goaso has sentenced Kwasi Appiah, a 37 year old farmer, to 10 years imprisonment in hard labour, for attempting to murder his wife. Appiah pleaded guilty to the charge of attempted murder and was convicted accordingly.

Prosecuting, Chief Inspector Charles Arthur, told the court presided by Mr. Osei Kwame Gyamfi, that the couple resided at Agyarekrom near Gambia Number Two and had two children. He said on August five this year, Appiah asked his wife, Leticia Siaw, to accompany him to Dormaa-Ahenkro to harvest their maize. Chief Inspector Arthur said the wife, however, asked the husband to take the lead and that she would join him at Dormaa-Ahenkro the next day.

"Appiah suspected Leticia of having a concubine so he became offended by the wife's retort so he pulled a sharp cutlass and slashed her till she became unconscious," the prosecutor said. He said Appiah after the act went into hiding in a near-by forest but a witness apprehended him and handed him over to the police. Leticia has since been admitted at the Goaso Government Hospital and is responding to treatment.

The same court sentenced two farm labourers to four years imprisonment each for stealing 13 bunches of plantain from a neighbour's farm. Kwaku Agyemang, 18 and Yaw Francis, 20, were both convicted on their own plea of guilty for stealing. Police Inspector Stephen Frimpong told the court that Kwaku Poku, the complainant, a farmer and the labourers resided at Ayomso in Asunafo North Municipality. He said the complainant usually engaged the labourers to weed on his farm for a fee but on July nine this year the two labourers conspired and stole the plantain from the farm. Police Inspector Frimpong said through his own investigations the complainant found that the labourers were responsible for the theft. A report was made to the police and during interrogation after their arrest the two admitted the offence. The court also remanded three suspected thieves in prison custody for allegedly stealing a sheep. Jacob Amponsah, 49, Stephen Aboriga, 42 and Mahama Kusaase 47, all pleaded guilty and the court deferred their sentence. Presenting the facts of the case, Inspector James Asamoah said the complainant and the suspects are farmers at Abuom in Asunafo South District.

He said on August three this year Amponsah and Aboriga went to the house of the complainant and stole a sheep valued at GHC 60. The prosecutor said they sent the animal to Kusaase's village and they killed and shared it equally. Inspector Asamoah said three days later Kusaase sensed danger so informed his landlord about the theft. The landlord reported the case to the Police and the three were arrested.