AGBEMENYA vs. THE STATE [1964]DLSC144

Date	1964-12-15
Suit No.
Citation No.	[1964]DLSC144

OLLENNU J.S.C

ACOLATSE J.S.C.

SIRIBOE J.S.C.

APPELLANT IN PERSON.

K.A. SEKYI STATE ATTORNEY FOR THE RESPONDENTS.

<p class="mb-5" id="contentDlCitation"  hidden>[1964]DLSC144</p>
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" ><span style="font-size: 18px !important;"><span style="font-size: 18px !important;"><span style="font-size: 18px !important;"><span style="font-size: 18px !important;"><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: 115%; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><b><span style="font-size:
12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;mso-fareast-font-family:
&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:Helvetica;color:#00B0F0">AGBEMENYA</span></b><span style="font-size:13.5pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Helvetica&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;
mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;color:#00B0F0"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: 115%; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><b><span style="font-size:
12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;mso-fareast-font-family:
&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:Helvetica;color:#00B0F0">&nbsp;vs.</span></b><span style="font-size:13.5pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Helvetica&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;
mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;color:#00B0F0"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom: 12pt; text-align: center; line-height: 115%; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:
115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;
mso-bidi-font-family:Helvetica;color:#00B0F0">THE STATE</span></b><span style="font-size:13.5pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Helvetica&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;
mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;color:#00B0F0"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom: 5pt; text-align: center; line-height: 115%; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">[SUPREME COURT]</span><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><div style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; border-bottom: 1.5pt solid windowtext; padding: 0in; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">

<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: 115%; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; border: none; padding: 0in;"><b><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">[</span></b><b><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">1964</span></b><b><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">] </span></b><b><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">GLR 663</span></b><b><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">&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;</span></b><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">DATE: 15TH</span><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;"> DECEMBER, 1964</span><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>

</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:
justify;line-height:115%"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">COUNSEL:
<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><div style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; border-bottom: 1.5pt solid windowtext; padding: 0in 0in 1pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 115%; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; border: none; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">APPELLANT IN PERSON.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 115%; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; border: none; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">K.A. SEKYI, STATE ATTORNEY, FOR THE RESPONDENTS.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>

</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:
justify;line-height:115%"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">CORAM:
<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><div style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; border-bottom: 1.5pt solid windowtext; padding: 0in 0in 1pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 115%; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; border: none; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">OLLENNU, ACOLATSE AND SIRIBOE, JJ.S.C.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>

</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:
115%;mso-outline-level:1"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;"><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span></b></p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">

<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;
text-align:center;line-height:115%;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>

</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 5pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 115%; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">OLLENNU J.S.C.</span></b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 5pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 115%; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">Ollennu J.S.C. delivered the
judgment of the court. This appeal is against the conviction of the appellant
by the High Court, Ho, for rape. The trial was conducted with assessors. Most
of the facts in the case are not in dispute, and are briefly as follows: The prosecutrix
(the third prosecution witness) is a girl of seventeen years. She attended
school at Keta, leaving in 1962. For at least four months immediately preceding
17 November 1963 (the date of the incident) she was living with her parents at
Ho. The appellant is a relation of the mother of the prosecutrix, and is a
frequent visitor to the family house. The appellant was an apprentice fitter at
Ho. He qualified in November 1962, and thereafter obtained a job at Tema. He
was in Ho on 17 November 1963. On the evening of that day, he visited the house
of the prosecutrix and stayed for about one hour, leaving at about 7.45 p.m. At
his request and with the consent of her mother, the prosecutrix accompanied
him. She was to go and show the appellant the house of a certain driver which
was situated only about 150 yards away from her house. According to the
appellant, she was seeing him off as a friend. We may pause here for a moment
and observe that it appears odd that it should be necessary for the
prosecutrix, who had been in Ho for only four months prior to that day, to go
out at that hour of the evening to point out the house of the alleged driver to
the appellant, when directions could have been given by her mother or elder
sister, both of whom have lived in Ho all of their lives. This is particularly
so when upon the evidence, the appellant knew Ho quite well. The case of the
prosecution from that point is that upon the return of the prosecutrix and the
appellant from the driver’s house, the appellant requested her to go with him
to a house of a friend of his, which was about 70 yards away from her house. In
compliance with that request she accompanied the appellant to a large compound
house and entered into a room there that had a light in it. The door to this room
was open but the occupant was absent. The appellant was dresssed in shirt,
vest, pants and trousers. Shortly after she had been seated, the appellant took
off his shirt. That done he locked the door and took out the key. Although she
did not say so in so many words, it is a fair inference to draw from the
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