R vs. BUSANGA [1959]DLSC2042

Date	1959-09-18
Suit No.
Citation No.	[1959]DLSC2042

KORSAH C.J.

VAN LARE J.A.

GRAVILLE SHARP J.A.

[1959]DLSC2042
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" ><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:
115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;mso-fareast-font-family:Times;
mso-bidi-font-family:Times;color:#548DD4;mso-themecolor:text2;mso-themetint:
153">R <o:p></o:p><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:
115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;mso-fareast-font-family:Times;
mso-bidi-font-family:Times;color:#548DD4;mso-themecolor:text2;mso-themetint:
153">vs. <o:p></o:p><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:
115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;mso-fareast-font-family:Times;
mso-bidi-font-family:Times;color:#548DD4;mso-themecolor:text2;mso-themetint:
153">BUSANGA<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;[COURT OF APPEAL]<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[1959] GLR 303<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">

DATE:
18TH SEPTEMBER, 1959.<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:&nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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<o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>

</div>CORAM:
<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in 0in 0in 0in">

KORSAH C.J., VAN LARE J.A. AND GRAVILLE
SHARP J.A.<o:p></o:p>

</div><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>JUDGMENT OF VAN LARE J.A.<o:p></o:p>Van Lare
J A. delivered the judgment of the Court.<o:p></o:p>(His
Lordship referred to the facts and proceeded:-)<o:p></o:p>The
appeal was ably argued for the appellant, mainly on the ground that the
conviction cannot be supported having regard to the evidence, particularly because
there is no evidence available which the trial-judge and the assessors could
have regarded as affording the necessary corroboration in law of the unsworn
evidence of P. W. 2.<o:p></o:p>P.W.2 is
a child of seven years, whom the trial - Judge did not find to appear to
understand the nature of meaning of an oath, and who was allowed to give
unsworn testimony. The law is that no person shall be convicted upon the
uncorroborated evidence of a person who shall have given his evidence without
oath or affirmation. This is so a fortiori in the case of a child of tender
years.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>We note,
however, that the learned Judge, in considering this aspect of the matter,
regarded the evidence of Boakye Adare and Akosua Akoto as corroborative of the
child’s story. In this we differ, with respect, from the trial-Judge. The
evidence of Boakye Adare is to the effect that the appellant was seen by him in
the “area” of the crime, though where exactly the crime was committed that
witness did not know. Further, there is no evidence given by him which (by time
or distance) could connect the appellant with the crime. The evidence of Akosua
Akoto, the appellant’s landlady, is to the effect that the appellant was not
seen by her at home on the day in question until late in the evening, when he was
seen to return home from work.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>Although
we are aware that circumstantial evidence may afford corroboration, this cannot
in our view be so unless such circumstantial evidence points to no other
conclusion than that the prisoner, and no one else, could possible have
committed the offence which is under consideration. In other words, the chain
of circumstances must without deviation connect the prisoner with the offence
charged. We cannot, therefore regard the evidence of these two witnesses as
satisfying the requirements of the law as to corroboration of the child’s
evidence that the “N.T.” man who was seen by her to cut the deceased was the
same man as the appellant.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>We now
come to the evidence of the child, the only person said to have witnessed the
commission of the crime and the presence of the appellant in the act of’
committing it. We found the evidence of this child to be highly unsatisfactory,
in the sense that it contains such inconsistencies and self-contradictions as
to make it unreliable.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>Learned
Senior Crown Counsel conceded this point. We felt strongly that it would be
highly dangerous to accept the child’s evidence. The question of corroboration,
therefore, does not arise, and the case against the appellant is not strong
enough even to call for an answer.<o:p></o:p>