BANINI (AN INFANT) vs. ASARE [1989]DLHC1988

Date	1989-07-31
Suit No.
Citation No.	[1989]DLHC1988

LUTTERODT J.

[1989]DLHC1988
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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:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;
color:#00B0F0">BANINI (AN INFANT)<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:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;
color:#00B0F0">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:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;
color:#00B0F0">ASARE<o:p></o:p>[HIGH COURT, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p>[1992] 1 GLR 353<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">

</div>COUNSEL:<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;
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LUTTERODT J. <o:p></o:p>

</div>JUDGMENT OF LUTTERODT J.<o:p></o:p>This action is brought by Eric Banini, an infant, per his next
friend, his father Daniel Kobla Banini of the Ghana Atomic Commission, Accra.<o:p></o:p>It is yet another classic case of the plaintiff setting up, as far
as the main facts leading to the claim are concerned, facts entirely different
from the defendant’s and one in which there is no independent or disinterested
person testifying in the matter. The court is therefore faced with choosing one
of the rival claims. The only common ground between the parties is that on the
night of 18 July 1983 the plaintiff who at the material time was a schoolboy
aged sixteen went on to the defendant’s farms to steal five cobs of corn. He
was caught by the defendant, the owner of the farm, but he ended up, as far as
his hands were concerned, not quite in the same shape in which they came. He
ended up at the Military Hospital with the following injuries.<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left:.75in;mso-add-space:auto;
text-align:justify;text-indent:-.25in;mso-pagination:none;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;
border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:yes">1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; “Complete transaction of
superficial and deep palm muscles and tendons especially of the proximal
portions of digits II, III, IV and V of the right hand. <o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left:.75in;mso-add-space:auto;
text-align:justify;text-indent:-.25in;mso-pagination:none;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;
border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:yes">2.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Injury to the II, III, IV,
proximal phalangeal joint with fracture (avalsion) and contusion of the
proximal phalanges. <o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left:.75in;mso-add-space:auto;
text-align:justify;text-indent:-.25in;mso-pagination:none;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;
border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:yes">3.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Destruction of volur nerves
and blood vessels with severe soft tissue damage. <o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:
5.0pt;margin-left:.75in;mso-add-space:auto;text-align:justify;text-indent:-.25in;
mso-pagination:none;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;
mso-border-shadow:yes">4.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Amputation of the left middle finger.”<o:p></o:p>The above is the technical description of the injuries. The
layman’s version is as described by the victim. The defendant admits the
injuries but the controversy between the parties is whether or not he inflicted
same wilfully and intentionally after he had arrested and caught the plaintiff
or whether as the defendant maintained he did so in self-defence and in defence
of his property.<o:p></o:p>I have carefully examined the two rival stories put up by both
sides and I opt for the plaintiff’s version. The defendant’s own evidence clearly
shows that he has suffered much at the hands of these thieves. Little wonder
that he kept watch on several nights on the farm and even had to go to the
extent of making his children sacrifice their school hours all in a bid to
catch the thief (or thieves) who has (or have) been ravaging his farm.<o:p></o:p>Each time he failed in his bid and the thefts continued. The mood
in which he kept yet another watch on the farm on this fateful day is borne out
by his own following testimony:<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 decided on 18 July 1983 that we shall all break the curfew. So
at 7pm I left and when going I told my wife I was going to sleep on the farm
and</main>