A 60-year-old man, Doe Fianu, has been sentenced to 20 years imprisonment in hard labour after pleading guilty to manslaughter for the death of his wife, Grace Yorker Torku.
Fianu had, in 2023, shot his wife – Grace Yorke Torku in the head and vagina, leading to her death after an argument due to a phone call she had received from a “male caller.”
He pleaded guilty to manslaughter instead of murder, after activating sections of act 30 which puts him on a lesser punishment instead of the life sentence murder would have carried.
He also plead guilty to the second charge of possession of firearms without lawful authority.
The High Court in Accra, presided over by Justice Kizita Naa Koowa Quarshie, convicted him of both counts.
Prior to sentencing, Justice Kizita Quarshie noted that the Court considered several factors before imposing the sentence.
The Court said it considered Fianu’s guilty plea, which saved court time, him being a first time offender and the fact that he showed remorse.
The prosecution led by Winifred Sarpong, a Principal State Attorney had pointed out that the crime was severe, especially considering that the couple’s 4-year-old son had witnessed the incident. They noted that the traumatic incident had a significant impact on the boy.
The prosecution had urged the court to impose a sentence of no less than 30 years after his lawyers led by Bernard Obiri Koranteng had made arguments for mitigation.
In delivering the sentence, Justice Quarshie said it considered the mitigating pleas and aggravating factors, including Fianu’s first-time offender status, his remorse, and the fact that he had not wasted the court’s time.
However, the court also noted the severity of the offense and the impact it would have on the couple’s children.
The Court consequently sentenced him to 20 years for manslaughter and 10 years for possession of firearms without lawful authority. He is to serve both sentences in hard labour.
However, the Court said both sentences will be served concurrently at the Nsawam Prison which means, he will serve the highest of the two punishments which is 20 years.
Brief facts
It was the case of the Prosecution that the Assembly man of Okomante Electoral area, one Gordon Tsimese, made a distress call to the District Command of Police with information that the accused person Doe Fianu had shot his wife, one Grace Yorke Torku.
Following the shooting, he was wielding a weapon that he used to prevent others from getting close to him.
With this information, the Police proceeded to the scene at Taboo line and found the deceased in a supine position in a pool of blood in the living room of their home.
It said, examination of the body of the deceased revealed two gunshot wounds on “the head and vagina” of the deceased.
“Investigations revealed that on 26th May 2023, the accused and his wife (deceased) Grace Yorke Torku had an argument due to a phone call she received from a male caller,” the prosecution said.
It said, in the course of the argument the accused entered their bedroom and brought out a pistol and shot the deceased.
“The body of the deceased was removed after inspection to the Tema General Hospital for preservation and autopsy.
“Intelligence led to the arrest of the accused who had been arrested by some witnesses at Ni Amui Park at Ashaiman,” it said.
It said, the Police also retrieved the weapon which had been taken from the accused person.
Subsequently on May 29, 2023, the Police revisited the crime scene and retrieved the empty magazine of the pistol.
On June 6, 2023, the Pathologist at the Tema General Hospital performed the autopsy in the presence of relatives and the police and gave the cause of death as gunshot wounds to the head which is unnatural.
Source: Starrfm.com.gh
