[1986]DLHC883 • October 24, 1986 • High Court
ASUMANG vs. THE REPUBLIC
The appellant was charged with threatening with a cutlass during a land dispute with the complainant. The appellant pleaded guilty but gave an explanation denying the threat, stating that although he had a cutlass during an exchange of words, he did not threaten the complainant, who had put his cutlass down.
read moreJUDGMENT OF MENSAH AG. J. This is an appeal lodged by the appellant against his conviction and sentence. The main grounds of appeal were that the judgment or order is unreasonable and cannot be supported by the evidence and that the sentence of twelve months is harsh. Though the petition talks of additional grounds to be filed on the receipt of the record of proceedings, yet up to the time of the hearing of the substantive appeal, no such additional grounds have been filed by counsel. It would therefore seem to this court that the submissions made by counsel to the court do not reflect the main grounds of appeal because in this case, the appellant pleaded guilty and was convicted on his plea. Yet counsel’s argument was that since the appellant gave an explanation to the trial magistrate which amounted to a plea of not guilty which the magistrate failed to record, the conviction entered by the trial court as well as the sentence were null and void. I allowed counsel to p.....