Five sentenced 70 years to prison over attack on retired driver

The Accra High Court has sentenced five persons to a total prison term of 70 years for attacking a retired driver, Nii Ashiboi Mensah, the result which left the victim blind. 

The incident which happened in 2014, is said to have stemmed from a dispute over the burial of a deceased chief at the Teshie Royal Mausoleum.

The court heard that the acting Dzaasetse of Lanshie Quarter, by name Nii Jerry, died, and during preparations for his funeral, a faction belonging to the same Lanshie Quarter, headed by a man, called Nii Kwabotwe, was not in agreement that the deceased (Nii Jerry) should be buried at the Lanshie Royal Mausoleum at Teshie.

Those who were arrested following the incident are, Joseph Ashikwei Tigany, Daniel Ashitei, Philip Boye, Nii Armah Agbeko and Nii Agoe Kaatso.   

Joseph Ashikwei Tigany was given a prison sentence of 25 years for slashing the throat of the victim, while the others were given prison terms of 15 years each and a month respectively.

Mr Gary Nimako-Marfo, lead counsel for the accused persons had asked the court to deal leniently with his clients, indicating that for the past seven years, there had been relative peace in the area and that the victim and the accused persons belonged to the same family.

However, the state prosecution, led by Ms Hilda Craig, impressed upon the court to critically examine the circumstances of the offence before it.

She argued that the actions of the five persons were premeditated so they should suffer the consequences.

The presiding judge, Justice Mary Nsenkyire had this to say while passing the sentence. 

“The essential ingredients the prosecution needed to prove before you can return a verdict of guilt are that;  harm was caused to the victim,  the harm was intentional and unlawful,  the harm inflicted on the victim was caused with the use of an offensive weapon and the accused agreed to act together with a common purpose to cause harm to the victim.”