MATILDA TANDOH ASANTA-NZEMA vs. EMMANUEL LOWELL INCOOM [2022]DLHC17074

Date	2022-10-27
Suit No.	SUIT NO. E6/17/20
Citation No.	[2022]DLHC17074

HIS LORDSHIP JUSTICE DR. RICHMOND OSEI-HWERE

EMMANUEL BECKLEY ESQ

APPIAH AGYEI YEBOAH ESQ

SAMUEL ERICKSON ABAKAH ESQ.

F.F. FAIDOO ESQ.

<p class="mb-5" id="contentDlCitation"  hidden>[2022]DLHC17074</p>
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" ><span style="font-size: 18px !important;"><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:-2.5pt;
margin-bottom:0cm;margin-left:4.5pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center;
line-height:normal;mso-pagination:none;text-autospace:none"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:
&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:
&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;color:#00B0F0">MATILDA TANDOH ASANTA-NZEMA<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:-2.5pt;
margin-bottom:0cm;margin-left:4.5pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center;
line-height:normal;mso-pagination:none;text-autospace:none"><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;
mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;">(PETITIONER)<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:-2.5pt;
margin-bottom:0cm;margin-left:4.5pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center;
line-height:normal;mso-pagination:none;text-autospace:none"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:
&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:
&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;color:#00B0F0">vs.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:-2.5pt;
margin-bottom:0cm;margin-left:4.5pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center;
line-height:normal;mso-pagination:none;text-autospace:none"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:
&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:
&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;color:#00B0F0">EMMANUEL LOWELL INCOOM<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:-2.5pt;
margin-bottom:0cm;margin-left:4.5pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center;
line-height:normal;mso-pagination:none;text-autospace:none"><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;
mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;">(RESPONDENT)<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:-2.5pt;
margin-bottom:0cm;margin-left:4.5pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center;
line-height:normal;mso-pagination:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;
mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;">[HIGH
COURT, SEKONDI]<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:-2.5pt;margin-bottom:
0cm;margin-left:4.5pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height:
normal;mso-pagination:none;tab-stops:168.75pt 278.15pt;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;
mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;">&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;&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; <o:p></o:p></span></p><div style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; border-bottom-width: 1.5pt; border-bottom-color: black; padding: 0cm 0cm 1pt; margin-left: 4.5pt; margin-right: -2.5pt;">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:
justify;line-height:normal;mso-pagination:none;text-autospace:none;border:none;
mso-border-bottom-alt:solid black 1.5pt;padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm"><a name="_heading=h.gjdgxs"></a><span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;
mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;">SUIT NO. E6/17/20&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: 27<sup>TH</sup> OCTOBER, 2022<o:p></o:p></span></p>

</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:-2.5pt;margin-bottom:
0cm;margin-left:4.5pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height:
normal;mso-pagination:none;text-autospace:none"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;
mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;">CORAM<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:-2.5pt;margin-bottom:
0cm;margin-left:4.5pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height:
normal;mso-pagination:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;
mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;">HIS LORDSHIP JUSTICE DR. RICHMOND
OSEI-HWERE<o:p></o:p></span></p><div style="border-top-width: 1.5pt; border-top-color: black; border-left: none; border-bottom-width: 1.5pt; border-bottom-color: black; border-right: none; padding: 1pt 0cm; margin-left: 4.5pt; margin-right: -2.5pt;">

<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;
text-align:center;line-height:normal;mso-pagination:none;text-autospace:none;
border:none;mso-border-top-alt:solid black 1.5pt;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid black 1.5pt;
padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:1.0pt 0cm 1.0pt 0cm"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;
mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;">JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>

</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:
justify;text-indent:36.0pt;line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;
line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif">In this judgment, the court
is called upon to determine essentially, four matters; the dissolution of the
marriage between the parties, property settlement, financial settlement and
custody of the three children of the marriage. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:
justify;text-indent:36.0pt;line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;
line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif">On the facts, the
Petitioner, then a spinster, was lawfully married to the Respondent, then a
bachelor, under the Marriages Act 1884-1985 (Cap. 127) on 14<sup>th</sup>
December, 2014 at the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, Effiakuma. The parties
subsequently cohabited at H/No. 91(92), East Anoe, Sekondi, until September,
2019 when the Petitioner moved out of the matrimonial home. The Petitioner is a
midwife at SDA Asanta Nursing Training College and Respondent is a Contractor.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:
justify;text-indent:36.0pt;line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;
line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif">Bryan Lowell and John Lowell
are the issues of the marriage. They were 10 years and 4 years respectively
when the petition was filed.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:
justify;text-indent:36.0pt;line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;
line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif">There has been no previous
court action concerning the marriage between the parties. The petitioner wants
the marriage dissolved. According to the petitioner, the parties to the marriage
have had long standing misunderstandings between them which they have not been
able to resolve. Petitioner says that there is no love between the parties. Her
pleaded grounds point to adultery and the unreasonable behaviour on the part of
the respondent.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:
justify;text-indent:36.0pt;line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;
line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif">Petitioner says that Respondent
has been cheating on her consistently with some of his paramours being Dorcas, Adwoa
(who he had abortions with) and one Veronica Asare. That Respondent still
maintains numerous concubines even after several pieces of advice from her and
other well-meaning elders of their families.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:
justify;text-indent:36.0pt;line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;
line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif">Petitioner also alleges that
the Respondent all through the marriage failed to maintain her and the children
of the marriage. That there have been countless attempts by the families of the
parties as well as elders of their church to resolve the issues and reconcile
the parties, but all to no avail.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:
justify;text-indent:36.0pt;line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;
line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif">Petitioner contends that Respondent’s
attitude and behaviour is so inconsiderate and </main>