Carpenter remanded for friend's murder

Asamankese, May 8, GNA - Alex Narkotey, a 30-year-old carpenter, has been remanded by the Asamankese Circuit Court on a provisional charged of murder of his friend, Francis Appiah, 35. His plea was not taken and will reappear on May 31.

Police Inspector S A Ntow, prosecuting, told the court that on April 5, this year, both the suspect and the deceased went on a drinking spree at Mmofrafadwen, a suburb of Akwatia.

He said after a while, Appiah invited the suspect to his house to discuss how best he could help him resolve an assault case his wife reported to the police against him.

Mr Ntow said in the cause of the discussions, a quarrel arose between the two friends resulting in a fight during which the deceased bit the jaw of Narkotey causing profuse bleeding. He said in retaliation, the suspect hit Appiah with a stone before the two were separated but Narkotey went home and armed himself with a chisel and returned to Appiah's house.

A son of Appiah, who saw that Narkotey was armed, shouted to his father not to venture outside but Appiah disregarded the warning and came out with the intension of going to lodge a complaint with an elder on the issue.

He said on the way, the suspect allegedly rushed and stabbed the deceased on the chest and back with the chisel and he fell in pool of blood. He was rescued and rushed to the hospital but was pronounced dead on arrival.

Mr Ntow said Narkotey who initially fled from the scene, later reported to the police that the deceased had assaulted him but he was arrested.