Court jails caretaker 10 years for manslaughter

Richmond Laweh, a caretaker, whose makeshift gate electrocuted a 14-year-old boy at Ampomah, near Ashiyie, has been jailed 10 years imprisonment by a High Court in Accra.

Laweh illegally connected electricity to an uncompleted building and connected a cooper wire to this makeshift gate on pathway on two plots of land he as squatting.

 Samuel Darko, the victim, who touched the gate to open it, to use the said pathway, got electrocuted.

During a summing up, a seven-member jury unanimously returned a verdict of guilty on Laweh at the end of the trial.

Laweh, who is also a mason, charged with manslaughter, pleaded not guilty and indicated that he never connected the gate with electricity although he contracted a professional electrician to do the illegal connection on the ground to his abode.

The prosecution led by Nana Ama Adinkrah, a Senior State Attorney, called four prosecution witnesses to make their case.

Handing down the sentence, the court presided over by Justice Marie- Louise Simmons said she took consideration of the fact that Laweh was a first offender, he had been cooperative during the trial.

The court noted that the incident was wreckless, adding “all adults know that no one could play with electricity, and no one could determine the extent of which it could cause harm.

According to the court, though investigations were conducted, it was surprising that the issue of illegal connection was not investigated.

It said if that was investigated the accused could have been charged with illegal connection in addition the charge of man slaughter.

The court also noted that the issue could have informed the public about the dangers of illegal connection.

“No statement was taken from the next house where the illegal connection was done and the son called electrician who did the illegal connection was not investigated.

State institutions should be proactive instead of reactive.”

Defence counsel in her plea for mitigation told the court that her client did not intend to cause harm to anyone, including the deceased.

She therefore prayed to the court to tamper justice with mercy.

Nana Ama Adinkrah who led prosecution, recounted that the accused person at the time of the incident was 25-year-old and he was young, and he was attending court sitting all the time.

Notwithstanding, she said, the wreck less act of the accused had led to the loss of the life of a 14-year-old boy who had his life ahead of him.

The Senior State Attorney beseeched the court to meet out deterrent sentence to send message to who might act in “similar wreckless manner which led to the loss of precious life which could not be redeemed.”

The deceased father who was in court noted that justice had been served and cautioned that people should be mindful not to cause harm to that would lead to the loss of lives.

The prosecution’s case was that the accused was a caretaker of a parcel of land at Ampomah village, near Ashiyie in the Greater Accra Region.

Prosecution said the land had a foot path commonly used by the residents of that area.

The court heard that Laweh, however, decided to block the said path by creating a makeshift gate with a wire mesh.

Additionally, prosecution said Laweh electrified the gate by passing a copper wire from his house to the makeshift gate through the ground.

“This means that ordinally, no one would know that the said gate had been electrocuted. There was no warning sign telling people to keep off the electrocuted gate.”

Prosecution said on June 20, 20219, the deceased was on an errand accompanied by Ruth Tetteh.

The prosecution said when they got to the said foot path which had been blocked with the makeshift gate, the deceased touched the gate to open it.

When the deceased touched the gate, he screamed and fell to the floor as his friend watched helplessly.

“Realising the deceased might be in danger, she rushed home and informed her mother and the mother of the deceased. They rushed to the scene where others had gathered and saw the lifeless body of the deceased lying by the electrified makeshift gate.” Prosecution said.

The court was told that the deceased was rushed to the hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

Prosecution said an autopsy was conducted on the victim and cause of death was stated as electrocution.

Source: GNA