Man gets 12 months imprisonment for attempting to commit suicide in cells

Francis Abeka, an 18-year old man, has been sentenced to 12 months imprisonment in hard labour by a Tarkwa Circuit Court for attempting to commit suicide in a police station.

He pleaded guilty.

Inspector Oscar Amponsah told the court presided over by Mr Samuel Obeng Diawuo that the accused committed the act whiles on remand in the custody of the Tarkwa Central Police Station for a theft case being tried before the Tarkwa Circuit Court.

He said at dawn on January 28 while the other inmates were sleeping, the accused tore part of the blanket on which they were sleeping and made a rope out of it.

Inspector Amponsah said the accused then stood on a plastic bucket serving as the urinal pot and fastened one end to the iron bars in the ceiling of the cell and hanged himself.

He said the accused whiles hanging started screaming and gasping for breath which attracted the attention of the other inmates who rushed to save him and they reported the incident to the officer on duty, Richard Adjah is a Police Sergeant, who rushed him to the Tarkwa Government Hospital where he was admitted for a day.

Inspector Amponsah said the accused admitted the offense in his cautioned statement saying life was unbearable to him that was why he wanted to take his life.

Source: GNA