KWESI DONKOR vs. THE REPUBLIC [2019]DLHC8736

Date	2019-05-10
Suit No.	COURT CASE NO. 42/2017
Citation No.	[2019]DLHC8736

ERIC BAAH J.

[2019]DLHC8736
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >KWESI DONKOR<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>THE REPUBLIC<o:p></o:p>[HIGH COURT,
HO]<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">

COURT CASE NO. 42/2017&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; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;DATE:
10TH MAY, 2019.<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>ERIC BAAH, J.<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border-top:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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padding:1.0pt 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">

<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:115%;
border:none;mso-border-top-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;mso-border-bottom-alt:
solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:1.0pt 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>A.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; INTRODUCTION<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-top:12.0pt;margin-right:0cm;
margin-bottom:0cm;margin-left:54.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-add-space:auto;
text-align:justify;text-indent:-36.0pt;line-height:115%;mso-list:l4 level1 lfo1">1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Appellant
was charged before the Circuit Court, Kpando, for the offence of defilement of
a female under 16 years of age contrary to section 101 of Act 29, 1960, as
amended by Act 554.<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-top:12.0pt;margin-right:0cm;
margin-bottom:0cm;margin-left:54.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-add-space:auto;
text-align:justify;text-indent:-36.0pt;line-height:115%;mso-list:l4 level1 lfo1">2.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
A
plenary trial ensued, during which the prosecution called the following four
witnesses:-<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-top:12.0pt;margin-right:0cm;
margin-bottom:0cm;margin-left:90.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-add-space:auto;
text-align:justify;text-indent:-18.0pt;line-height:115%;mso-list:l5 level1 lfo2">a.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Belinda
Tetteh K. Agyako – PW1 (Victim).<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-top:12.0pt;margin-right:0cm;
margin-bottom:0cm;margin-left:90.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-add-space:auto;
text-align:justify;text-indent:-18.0pt;line-height:115%;mso-list:l5 level1 lfo2">b.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Mary
Ekma Amponsah – PW2 (Mother of victim).<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-top:12.0pt;margin-right:0cm;
margin-bottom:0cm;margin-left:90.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-add-space:auto;
text-align:justify;text-indent:-18.0pt;line-height:115%;mso-list:l5 level1 lfo2">c.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Dr.
Hubert Kwesi Cosmos – PW3 (Medical Expert); and <o:p></o:p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-top:12.0pt;margin-right:0cm;
margin-bottom:0cm;margin-left:90.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-add-space:auto;
text-align:justify;text-indent:-18.0pt;line-height:115%;mso-list:l5 level1 lfo2">d.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Henry
Doku (Number 38102) – PW4 (Police Investigator).<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-top:12.0pt;margin-right:0cm;
margin-bottom:0cm;margin-left:54.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-add-space:auto;
text-align:justify;text-indent:-36.0pt;line-height:115%;mso-list:l4 level1 lfo1">3.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
The
trial culminated in a judgment delivered on 31st January, 2017.&nbsp; He was convicted as charged and sentenced to
a term of twenty (20) years imprisonment with hard labour.&nbsp; He appealed against the conviction and
sentence.&nbsp; The notice of appeal on record
was filed on 31st March, 2017.<o:p></o:p>B.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; GROUNDS OF APPEAL<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-top:12.0pt;margin-right:0cm;
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