OBENG vs. THE REPUBLIC [1971]DLCA2138

Date	1971-03-22
Suit No.
Citation No.	[1971]DLCA2138

AZU CRABBE JA

LASSEY JA

SOWAH J.A.

K. BOATENG FOR THE APPELLANT.

E. V. A. KISSEIH SENIOR STATE ATTORNEY FOR THE RESPONDENT.

[1971]DLCA2138
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >OBENG <o:p></o:p>vs. <o:p></o:p>THE REPUBLIC<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; [COURT OF APPEAL]&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <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;[1971] 2 GLR 107<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:
22 MARCH 1971.<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;
padding:0in 0in 0in 0in">

K. BOATENG
FOR THE APPELLANT.<o:p></o:p>

E. V. A.
KISSEIH, SENIOR STATE ATTORNEY, FOR THE RESPONDENT. <o:p></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">

AZU CRABBE, LASSEY AND SOWAH JJ.A.<o:p></o:p>

</div><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>JUDGMENT OF SOWAH J.A.<o:p></o:p>Sowah
J.A. delivered the ‘majority judgment of the court. The appellant in this case
was charged with unlawfully causing abortion on one Christiana Mensa. The jury
found him guilty of an attempt to cause abortion and he was then given the
mandatory penalty of ten years’ imprisonment with hard labour.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The facts
of this case are as follows: The victim, Christiana Mensa, the first
prosecution witness, found herself expecting a baby by her boy friend whom she
described as a schoolboy and who was incapable of sustaining and maintaining a
child if delivered. She therefore conceived of the idea of terminating the
pregnancy. The name of the appellant was mentioned to her and she sought him
out. Before then, she had discussed her intentions with a friend, Miss Georgina
Owusu Afriyie, an office assistant at the Ministry of Agriculture, Koforidua,
the sixth prosecution witness, who expressed her fears about the course of
conduct proposed and endeavoured unsuccessfully, to dissuade her from embarking
upon it. Upon her persuasion, however, Miss Owusu Afriyie accompanied her to
the appellant’s house.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>Both
girls agreed that the appellant demanded the sum of £G10 for his services. In
view of counsel’s argument before us, it is necessary to refer to some pieces
of evidence on this issue. Miss Mensa stated: “He agreed and said he would
charge £G12, we begged him and he reduced his charge to £G10.” Miss Owusu
Afriyie put it this way: “Mr. Obeng said he would charge £G12. After
discussion, it was reduced to £G10.” Miss Mensa then was given four injections
by the appellant. After the last injection, she attempted to stay the night
with her friend Miss Owusu Afriyie, but the latter refused and took her back to
the appellant, informing the appellant of her reasons for so doing. The
evidence shows that the appellant received Miss Mensa and arranged with a
former girl friend, a Miss Ama Owusuah, the second prosecution witness, to put
her up for the night and told her the reasons for his request, namely, that he
had given injections to Miss Mensa which he expected would end her pregnancy.
It was during the night that Miss Mensa started bleeding profusely. Her hostess
took fright and consulted with her grandmother who lived with her, and, upon
her advice, the police were contacted to convey Miss Mensa to hospital.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>It
appears that the doctor who attended upon her was not informed about the
injections. He stated:<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:5.0pt;
margin-left:.5in;text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;border:none;mso-padding-alt:
31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:yes">“When I
examined Christiana Mensa I found that in her particular case the foetus was
out but some product of conception, that is, bits of placenta were still inside
the uterus. It was therefore a case of incomplete abortion. Incomplete abortion
can be caused by:<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:5.0pt;
margin-left:.5in;text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;border:none;mso-padding-alt:
31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:yes">&nbsp;(1) natural cause of event, (2) instrumentation
which may be legal or illegal, (3) drugs which are known as abortifacient, (4)
external violence which may be accidental or intentional. As no history of
injection was given to me by Christiana Mensa or her attendants I did not look
for the marks of injection. [Cross-examination by defence counsel:] The cause
of the abortion is unknown to me. I agree that the in</main>