Mason accused of murder acquitted and discharged

A 38-year- old mason, Joseph Achonga Adabono, standing trial over the death of his niece’s boyfriend, has been acquitted and discharged by a Bolgatanga High Court.

Adabono was accused of murdering the boyfriend of his niece at Navrongo in the Kassena-Nankana Municipality of the Upper East Region, to which he pleaded not guilty.

A seven-member jury unanimously returned a verdict of not guilty of murder and the court, presided over by Justice Charles Adjei Wilson, Supervising High Court Judge, then acquitted and discharged the accused.

“The seven selected jurors having deliberated on the evidence and the direction of the law by the trial judge have returned a unanimous verdict of not guilty of murder, you are hereby acquitted and discharged, you are now a freeman,” he said.

Prosecuting State Attorney, Lilian Buntugu, said the complainant is the mother of the deceased and stays in the same vicinity with the accused, and that on June 16, 2019, a misunderstanding ensued between the accused and the deceased.

Prosecution said accused returned home to find the deceased chatting with his niece in their home and decided to attack and beat him severely until he was unconscious.

He was rushed to the War Memorial Hospital in Navrongo but was pronounced dead on arrival and medical examination revealed severe damage to the eye and the brain.

Prosecution said the accused bolted after the incident but was later arrested at Fumbisi in the Builsa South District on August 6, 2019.

In his defense, the Counsel for the accused, Mr Tahiru Lawal, told the court that the accused returned home to find his niece in bed with her boyfriend.

He said the deceased on his way out insulted him as “useless man” which provoked him to draw closer to the deceased.

However, the deceased slapped him and pounced on him and in his defense he fought back.

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