GODFRED OCANSEY vs. THE REPUBLIC [2004]DLCA6477

Date	2004-03-04
Suit No.	CIVIL APPEAL NO. 26/2002
Citation No.	[2004]DLCA6477

APALOO JA (PRESIDING)

MARFUL SAU JA

ACQUAYE JA

MOHAMMED ATTAH ESQ FOR THE APPELLANT

PENELOPE-ANN MAMATTA CHIEF STATE ATTORNEY FOR THE RESPONDENT

[2004]DLCA6477
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >GODFRED OCANSEY<o:p></o:p>(PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>THE REPUBLIC<o:p></o:p>(DEFENDANTS)<o:p></o:p>[COURT
OF APPEAL, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p>CIVIL
APPEAL NO. 26/2002&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; DATE: 4TH MARCH, 2004<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border-top:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
border-left:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;border-right:none;
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<span style="font-size:12.0pt;
line-height:107%;font-family:Symbol;mso-ascii-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;
mso-hansi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;mso-char-type:symbol;mso-symbol-font-family:
Symbol">&nbsp;PENELOPE-ANN MAMATTA CHIEF
STATE ATTORNEY, FOR THE RESPONDENT<o:p></o:p>

<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;border:none;
mso-border-top-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:1.0pt 0in 1.0pt 0in">JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>APALOO
JA <o:p></o:p>In this appeal, the
appellant Godfred Ocansey is seeking the reversal of his conviction by the High
Court Accra dated 30/4/2009. The High Court upon conviction sentenced the
appellant to a term of 7 years IHL in respect of Count 1 and for Count 2 he was
to serve 3 years IHL. Both sentences were to run concurrently. <o:p></o:p>The appellant had been
charged with the offences of defilement contrary to section 101 of the Criminal
Offences Act 1960, Act 29 and incest contrary to section 105 of the same Act.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;Briefly stated the case of the Prosecution was
that the appellant is and was at all material time the father of Edna Ocansey
who was aged 17 at the commencement of the trial. According to the Prosecution
between the years 2000-2003, appellant had sexual intercourse with his daughter
Edna several times when she was below the age of 16 years. Appellant was able
to convince Edna that as a father he had the right to have sex with her and so
she should not tell anybody. Appellant then continued to make sexual demands on
his daughter until June 2007 when she rebelled. Her refusal attracted severe
beatings from the appellant. He also prevented her from going out of the house
alone and also going to her mother’s family house.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;It was the Prosecution’s case further that in
March 2007, Edna accompanied her mother to a party organized by her aunt and
this infuriated the appellant so much that he beat her up mercilessly for going
out of the house. Edna threatened to tell her mother the truth which statement
attracted further beatings. The mother went to the scene but she was also
beaten mercilessly by the appellant and was taken to hospital. Edna later
confided in her mother with the details of her father’s sexual conduct.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;It was alleged that upon confrontation with
the truth appellant confessed to it and agreed during a family attempted
settlement to pacify both the wife’s family and his to avoid any calamity
descending on the families. Appellant however reneged on the terms of the
agreement which resulted in a family feud. On. June 17th, 2007 Edna proceeded
to the Tema Regional Police to lodge a complaint and after investigations the
appellant was charged with the offences.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;The appellant by his petition of appeal filed
6 grounds of appeal to wit; <o:p></o:p>1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
That
the judgment is against the weight of the evidence on record.<o:p></o:p>2.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
There
were serious conflicts and discrepancies in the evidence of the prosecution on
material issues which affected the credibility of the witnesses which the trial
judge failed to consider, which resulted in a substantial miscarriage of
justice against the accused. <o:p></o:p>3.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
That
the trial judge made wrong findings of fact from the evidence of the
prosecution witnesses and relied on same and convicted the appellant which
resulted in a substantial miscarriage of justice.<o:p></o:p>4.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
That
the trial judge failed to appraise the defence put up by the appellant as to
whether his defence raised reasonable doubts as to his guilt and thereby
convicted the appellant which resulted in a substantial miscarriage of justice.
<o:p></o:p><i</main>