AHENKORA vs. MOUBARAK [1972]DLHC2190

Date	1972-07-03
Suit No.
Citation No.	[1972]DLHC2190

EDUSEI J.

K.E. AMUA SEKYI FOR THE PLAINTIFF.

C.M. CANN FOR THE DEFENDANT.

[1972]DLHC2190
																																						<div class="restriction-wrapper">
														<div class="container-lg">
															<div class="row">
																<div class="col-md-12 restricted-content">
																	<div class="restricted-content-img-wrapper">
																		<div class="lock-icon bounce-7">
																			<img class=""
																				src="https://www.dennislawgh.com/dl-assets/dl-images/lock-content.png"
																				alt="Subscription based content">
																		</div>
																	</div>
																	 
																		<a href="https://www.dennislawgh.com/login"
																		class="btn btn-primary btn-lg"
																		style="font-family: 'open sans'; text-transform: capitalize; border-radius: 8px"> 
																		Login to Read Full Case </a>
																	 
																	
																</div>
															</div>
														</div>
													</div>
													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >AHENKORA<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;vs. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>MOUBARAK<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;[HIGH COURT, SEKONDI]<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;[1972] 2 GLR 429<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in 0in 0in 0in">

DATE:
3 JULY 1972.<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.E. AMUA SEKYI FOR THE PLAINTIFF.<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">

EDUSEI J.<o:p></o:p>

</div><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>JUDGMENT OF EDUSEI J.<o:p></o:p>The
plaint of the plaintiff in his writ reads as follows;<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">“The
plaintiff’s claim is for damages for loss and damage suffered by the plaintiff
as a result of a breach of statutory duty on the part of the defendant. Further
or in the alternative the plaintiff’s claim is for damages for loss and damage
suffered by the plaintiff as a result of the negligence and/or breach of duty
on the part of the defendant and/or his servants.”<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>A
statement of claim accompanied the writ of summons. In the course of addresses
Mr. Amua Sekyi, counsel for the plaintiff, intimated to the court and to
counsel for the defendant Mr. Cann that he would not pursue his claim based on
a breach of statutory duty. This in effect means that the first limb of the plaintiff’s
claim has been abandoned, and the plaintiff’s claim has been fought on
negligence.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The
plaintiff’s case is that in the early hours of 1 January 1969, his driver the
plaintiff’s first witness was driving his taxi-cab No. WR 6511 along the Axim
road towards the Atlantic Hotel direction when a horse suddenly emerged from
the near side of the road and collided with it, causing damage to it. The
plaintiff is therefore claiming ¢1,640.45 as the estimated cost of repairs to
his vehicle and ¢6.00 per day as loss of earnings from date of the accident to
the date of judgment. Counsel for the plaintiff, in view of the decision in
West African Bakery v. Miezah [1972] 1 G.L.R. 78, C.A., told the court to
consider loss of earnings for a reasonable period within which the taxi-cab
could have been repaired<o:p></o:p>The
defendant was the owner of the horse. The decision in this case, however, turns
on whether or not the defendant or his servant was negligent in the control of
the horse. The defendant has denied negligence, and the burden to establish
breach of duty of care on the part of the defendant was clearly cast on the
plaintiff. In attempting to prove this the driver of the taxi-cab, the
plaintiff’s first witness, testified as follows:<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">“I was
driving the plaintiff’s taxi-cab No. W/R 6511 on the Axim road towards Atlantic
Hotel direction. As I got near Kalmoni Workshop on Axim road, I saw a horse
which jumped suddenly from my near side into the road and hit my taxi-cab. I
became unconscious and was taken to hospital. My taxi-cab was damaged by the
horse. I regained consciousness within one hour after the accident. There was
no one riding the horse at the time; it came to the road alone.”<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The
plaintiff founded his claim on the fact that the horse came onto the highway
unattended because it was not properly kept in a stable and this, in his view,
was evidence of negligence. The plaintiff’s evidence in support of this
contention came from a police constable who investigated the criminal aspect of
the case, and he testified that the horse was not properly kept. He said that
what the defendant called a stable was “a large empty box.” The i</main>