JOSEPH KOFI DARKO (APPELLANT) vs. THE REPUBLIC [2014]DLCA4998

Date	2014-02-28
Suit No.	CRIMINAL APPEAL NO. H1/11/2013
Citation No.	[2014]DLCA4998

E. K. AYEBI J.A. (PRESIDING)

IRENE C. DANQUAH J.A.

TANKO I. O. AMADU J.A.

[2014]DLCA4998
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >JOSEPH KOFI DARKO <o:p></o:p>(APPELLANT)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>THE REPUBLIC
<o:p></o:p>(RESPONDENT)<o:p></o:p>[COURT OF APPEAL, KUMASI]<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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CRIMINAL APPEAL NO. H1/11/2013&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: 28TH FEBRUARY, 2014<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;
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E.
K. AYEBI J.A. (PRESIDING), IRENE C. DANQUAH J.A., TANKO I. O. AMADU J.A.<o:p></o:p>

</div><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>AYEBI J.A.<o:p></o:p>On the 17th March
2004, the appellant was arraigned before a Kumasi High Court on a charge of
defilement contrary to section 101 of Act 29, of the Criminal Offences Act,
1960 as amended by Act 554 of 1998.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>In subsection (1) of the
said section 101, it is provided that “for the purposes of this Act, defilement
is the natural or unnatural knowledge of a child under sixteen years of age”.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>And in subsection (2) of the
said s.101, it is stipulated that:<o:p></o:p>“A person who naturally or unnaturally carnally
knows a child under sixteen years of age, whether with or without the consent,
commits a criminal offence and is liable on summary conviction to a term of
imprisonment of not less than seven years and not more than twenty-five years”.<o:p></o:p>The particulars of the
offence state that the appellant then aged 41 years during the month of
December 2002, did have carnal knowledge of one Prisilla Tawiah then aged 11
years who is now deceased.&nbsp; After a full
trial, the High Court on 22nd December, 2004 found the appellant
guilty, convicted him and sentenced him to imprisonment for twenty (20) years
with hard labour.&nbsp; On 23rd
December 2011, the appellant filed this appeal against the said sentence and
prays this court to reduce the said sentence.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The grounds of appeal are
that:<o:p></o:p>(i)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
The learned
trial judge failed to consider your humble appellant as a first offender who
had never had any brush with the law.<o:p></o:p>(ii)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
The appellant’s
continued incarceration has had grave negative impact on his wife and
children’s education.<o:p></o:p>(iii)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
The appellant’s
right eye is gradually getting blind and needs to be operated upon.<o:p></o:p>