[2011]DLCA7836 Login to Read Full Case <span style="font-size: 18px !important;"><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; color:#00B0F0">ERNEST YANFUL ACQUAH<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center"><i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">(APPELLANT)<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:115%"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-fareast-font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua"; color:#00B0F0">vs.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center"><span class="NoSpacingChar"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family: "Book Antiqua",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;color:#00B0F0">THE REPUBLIC</span></b></span><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; color:#00B0F0"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:center"><span class="NoSpacingChar"><i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri">(RESPONDENT)</span></i></span><i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif"><o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:115%"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">[COURT OF APPEAL, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p></span></p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt; padding:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm"> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt; padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family: "Book Antiqua",serif">CRIMINAL APPEAL SUIT NO. H2/32/2010</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif"> DATE: 7<sup>TH</sup> JULY, 2011<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></p> </div><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height:115%"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">COUNSEL<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height:115%"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">MR. J. K. YEBOAH – COUNSEL FOR THE APPELLANT<o:p></o:p></span></p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt; padding:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm"> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height:115%;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">MR. ANTHONY REXFORD WIREDU - PSA FOR ATTORNEY-GENERAL<o:p></o:p></span></p> </div><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height:115%"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-fareast-font-family: "Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua"">CORAM:<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt; padding:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;border:none; mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">ABBAN (MRS) JA (PRESIDING), APALOO JA, HONYENUGA JA<o:p></o:p></span></p> </div><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height:115%"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt; padding:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm"> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:115%; border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0cm; mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family: "Book Antiqua",serif">APALOO JA: </span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">This is an appeal from the High Court Sekondi dated 11<sup>th</sup> July 2008. The High Court overturned the decision of the Circuit Court which had previously acquitted and discharged the appellant on one count of defilement contrary to section 101(1) and (2) of Act 29 as amended by Act 554.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">By his notice of appeal pursuant to leave of this court the appellant filed (4) four grounds of appeal. The grounds were;<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:36.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">“1. The medical report based on which the charge of defilement <o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:36.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif"> was prosecuted against the appellant …… was not conclusive <o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:36.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif"> that the victim had been defiled.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:36.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif"> <o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:36.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">2. The High Court Judge failed to consider the apparent <o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:36.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif"> inconsistencies in the evidence of PW1, the victim.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:36.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif"> 3. The defence was not adequately considered by the High <o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:36.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif"> Court sitting as an appellant Court.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:36.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify"><i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:36.0pt;text-align:justify"><i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif"> 4. The sentence is harsh and excessive”.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">Although the appellant stated that upon receipt of the record further grounds of appeal would be filed, it is noted that no further or other grounds were filed. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">Briefly stated, the case of the prosecution was that the victim, a ten year old was a class 6 pupil of Future Leaders Education Centre in Takoradi, whilst the appellant until his conviction by the High Court was a teacher at Kojokrom Top Hill Preparatory School. Appellant it was noted was a former teacher of the victim in Class 5 at Future Leaders Education Centre. On 11/10/07 after school had closed, the victim and two other pupils sought shelter in the house of the appellant as it was drizzling. When the drizzle stopped and the three pupils informed the appellant that they were leaving his house, the appellant requested the victim to remain in the house to enable her run an errand for him. According to the prosecution the appellant in the absence of the two pupils, took the victim into his room where he forcibly had sex with her. The mother of the victim later observed the unusual walking of the child, took her to a clinic where the victim revealed what had been done to her. A report was subsequently made to the Police and she was issued with Police Medical Form and the appellant was arrested.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">After a trial before the Circ