Man jailed 5 years for stabbing cousin to death

The Accra High Court has sentenced an unemployed man to five years impris­onment, for stabbing his cousin to death.

Godwin Kotey is said to have stabbed his cousin in the chest with a screwdriver following an argument over a woman at a spot near Salaga Market, in Accra.

Kotey pleaded guilty to the charge of manslaughter and was convicted and sentenced by the court, presided over by Justice Mrs Lydia Osei Marfo.

Koteywas alleged to have in­tentionally caused the death of his cousin, Sackey Nii Okaijah Freder­ick, through unlawful harm.

The accused’s lawyer entered into plea bargaining negotiation with the Attorney General, and changed his plea of not guilty to murder, and guilty to manslaughter.

The lawyer told the court that a proposal was taken to the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) and the Attorney General.

According to the lawyer, accused received a report from the Attorney General and “we have agreed to five years and the same has been accepted by prosecution.”

The court, therefore, re-took the plea of Kotey on the charge of manslaughter.

Vivian Osei Tutu, Senior State Attorney, told the court that the accused was a married man resid­ing at James Town, near Salaga Market, in Accra, while Frederick Nii Oko Sackey was a cousin of the accused.

The prosecution said in June 2020, the accused, asked Sackey to accommodate his girlfriend/fian­cée, Victoria Sabbah, in his abode, since he could not take her to the same house with his wife.

Ms Tutu said the accused later became suspicious of the relation­ship between the Sackey and his fiancée, and accused the two of being lovers.

The allegation generated in a series of confrontations, and Sackey asked, Victoria Sabbah to leave his room, according to prosecution.

Mrs Tutu said in November, 2020, the fiancée went to Sackey and pleaded with him to accom­modate her as she did not have anywhere to stay.

The court heard that when the accused realised that Sackey con­tinued to accommodatehis fiancée, he confronted him via the phone to return all the belongings of his fiancé to her.

Mrs Tutu said accused armed with a screwdriver went to Salaga Market and engaged Sackey in an argument.

The prosecution said a fight en­sued, and accused stabbed victim with screw driver, in the chest, and bolted.

Mrs Tutu said by standers arrested accused and handed him over to the police.

The prosecution said a patholo­gist at Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital gave the cause of death as “perfo­rated right ventricle from the stab injury to the chest.”

—GNA

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