Student slashes dad to death

An 18-year-old first year senior secondary student, Eric Sam, has been put before the Swedru Circuit Court, for allegedly slashing his father's ribs with a cutlass, killing him instantly at Otabilkrom, a suburb of Agona Swedru.

His plea was not taken, and Mr P.K. Richardson, the presiding judge, remanded him in prison custody to enable the police complete their investigations.

The case as presented by Inspector H.N. Cofie of the Swedru Divisional Police Headquarters are that the late Robert Sam was a retired miner and father of Eric, who is a first year student of the Odoben Senior Secondary School. The prosecutor said some time ago Eric allegedly stole his father's ?400,000 at Agona Odoben prompting the old man's refusal to pay his school fees.

He said on 13 March this year, the decease went to his house at Odoben and detected that Eric had broken into his wardrobe and stolen four of his cover cloths. When he returned to Otabilkrom and saw Eric there, the late Sam ordered his son not to enter his room. But Eric retorted that he would enter the room.

This degenerated into a quarrel and a fight between father and son and in the process the boy rushed into their kitchen, brought out a sharp cutlass and allegedly slashed his father in the ribs.

Inspector Cofie said Eric's mum returned home from the market in the evening only to see her husband in a pool of blood in the room. She quickly made a report to the police and Eric was arrested. The corpse has since been deposited at the Winneba Government Hospital mortuary pending autopsy.