THE REPUBLIC vs. ABDUL HALIK HAMZA [2019]DLCA6332

Date	2019-02-22
Suit No.	SUIT NO: CC2/14/2014
Citation No.	[2019]DLCA6332

V. D. OFOE J.A [PRESIDING]

G. TORKORNOO ( MRS) J.A

N.C. AGBEYOR J.A

JOHN NDEBUGRI FOR THE APPELLANT

QUDBUS SALIA (PSA) FOR THE RESPONDENT

[2019]DLCA6332
																																						<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" >THE REPUBLIC<o:p></o:p>(RESPONDENT)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>ABDUL HALIK
HAMZA<o:p></o:p>(APPELLANT)<o:p></o:p>[COURT OF APPEAL, TAMALE]<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">

<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;
text-align:center;line-height:115%;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">SUIT
NO: CC2/14/2014&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: 22ND
FEBRUARY, 2019<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL: <o:p></o:p>JOHN
NDEBUGRI FOR THE APPELLANT<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>CORAM: <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">

V. D. OFOE, J.A [PRESIDING], G.
TORKORNOO( MRS), J.A AND N.C. AGBEYOR, J.A&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; <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;
padding:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">

<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;
text-align:center;line-height:115%;mso-outline-level:1;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:
solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>AGBEVOR, J.A.<o:p></o:p>The
accused herein known as Appellant, a tailor was charged, tried and convicted of
the offence of murder contrary to Section 46 of the CRIMINAL OFFENCES ACT, 1960
(ACT 29).&nbsp; The facts though
well-rehearsed in the Record of Appeal may be repeated here for avoidance of
doubt.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The
accused (now the Appellant), a tailor lives at Sabonjida, a suburb of
Tamale.&nbsp; Abdul Ganiu (the deceased) was a
butcher and also lived in Tamale before his death.&nbsp; On the 14th July, 2013, at
8.00p.m. the said Abdul Ganiu went to Nyohini roundabout in the company of
Issah Hassan to buy food at Charlotte Fast Food.&nbsp; On arrival at the Fast Food Joint, they found
the accused and other young men engaged in a fight.&nbsp; Abdul Ganiu knew one of the young men
fighting called Fuseini Arafat who he approached and advised him to stop
fighting.&nbsp; The accused person ABDUL HALIK
HAMZA saw the deceased talking to Fuseini Arafat and became enraged by his
gesture.&nbsp; The accused picked a plunk of
wood with which he hit the head of Abdul Ganiu who fell down unconscious.&nbsp; The accused who bolted across the road was
apprehended by persons around and handed over to the police patrol team which
arrived at the scene Abdul Ganiu was rushed to the Tamale Teaching Hospital
where he was pronounced dead on arrival.&nbsp;
The accused was taken to the police station where he volunteered on
investigation cautioned statement in which he admitted the offence.&nbsp; After further investigations, the accused was
charged with one count of murder.&nbsp;
Accused was tried by judge and jury, convicted and sentenced to death as
required by law.&nbsp; Dissatisfied with the
conviction and sentence, accused has mounted the present appeal on nine
grounds.&nbsp; The grounds of appeal are set
forth:<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>GROUNDS OF APPEAL <o:p></o:p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;
margin-bottom:10.0pt;margin-left:.25in;mso-add-space:auto;text-align:justify;
text-indent:-.25in;mso-text-indent-alt:-.25in;line-height:115%;mso-list:l4 level1 lfo3">i.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
That
the learned trial judge misdirected the jury by non-direction on the real
facts surrounding the incident that led to the death of the deceased the
determination of which could have led to a return of a not guilty verdict by
the jury thus occasioning a substantial miscarriage of justice.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;
margin-bottom:10.0pt;margin-left:.25in;mso-add-space:auto;text-align:justify;
text-indent:-.25in;mso-text-indent-alt:-.25in;line-height:115%;mso-list:l4 level1 lfo3">ii.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
That
the learned trial judge misdirected the jury by inadequate direction on the
availability of self-defence or in the alternative, the learned trial
judge misdirected the jury by non-direction on t</main>