[2023]DLHC16888 Login to Read Full Case <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"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Book Antiqua",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family: "Book Antiqua";color:#00B0F0">JOHN OTOO<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"><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Book Antiqua"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua"">(APPELLANT)<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"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;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-top:0cm;margin-right:-2.5pt; margin-bottom:0cm;margin-left:4.5pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center; tab-stops:center 236.75pt left 306.75pt"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-fareast-font-family: "Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua";color:#00B0F0">THE REPUBLIC<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"><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Book Antiqua"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua"">(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"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-fareast-font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua"">[HIGH COURT, CAPE COAST]<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;tab-stops:168.75pt 278.15pt"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-fareast-font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua""> <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="text-align:justify;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:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Book Antiqua"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua"">SUIT NO: F22/14/2023 DATE: 12<sup>TH</sup> JULY, 2023<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;tab-stops:96.25pt 117.75pt 419.25pt"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Book Antiqua",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family: "Book Antiqua"">COUNSEL <o:p></o:p></span></b></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="text-align:justify;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black 1.5pt;padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-fareast-font-family: "Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua"">EUGENE LARBI APPIAH ESQ. FOR APPELLANT<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black 1.5pt;padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-fareast-font-family: "Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua"">LINDA AMA TENKORANG ESQ. FOR THE REPUBLIC<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;tab-stops:321.0pt"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;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><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:-2.5pt;margin-bottom: 0cm;margin-left:4.5pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-fareast-font-family: "Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua"">HIS LORDSHIP JUSTICE BERNARD BENTIL <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="text-align:center;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:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-fareast-font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua"">JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> </div><p class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.65pt;margin-bottom: 0cm;margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:115%;tab-stops:272.6pt"><span style="font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">This is an appeal by the Appellant against the judgment of the Circuit Court, Cape Coast, presided over by Her Honour Dorinda Smith Arthur. The learned trial judge tried and convicted the Appellant on 18<span style="position:relative;top:-3.5pt;mso-text-raise:3.5pt">th<span style="letter-spacing:.6pt"> </span></span>November,<span style="letter-spacing: -.65pt"> </span>2022<span style="letter-spacing:-.6pt"> </span>for<span style="letter-spacing:-.6pt"> </span>the<span style="letter-spacing:-.7pt"> </span>offence of defilement contrary to Section 101(2) of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29) and<span style="letter-spacing:-.3pt"> </span>sentenced<span style="letter-spacing:-.15pt"> </span>him<span style="letter-spacing:-.15pt"> </span>to<span style="letter-spacing:-.2pt"> </span>Eight<span style="letter-spacing:-.2pt"> </span>(8)<span style="letter-spacing:-.3pt"> </span>years<span style="letter-spacing:-.3pt"> </span>IHL.<span style="letter-spacing:-.1pt"> </span>Being<span style="letter-spacing:-.2pt"> </span>aggrieved<span style="letter-spacing:-.25pt"> </span>by<span style="letter-spacing:-.25pt"> </span>the<span style="letter-spacing:-.25pt"> </span>said<span style="letter-spacing:-.25pt"> </span>conviction<span style="letter-spacing:-.25pt"> </span>and sentence,<span style="letter-spacing: -.3pt"> </span>the<span style="letter-spacing:-.65pt"> </span>Appellant<span style="letter-spacing:-.25pt"> </span>filed<span style="letter-spacing:-.3pt"> </span>a<span style="letter-spacing:-.2pt"> </span>Petition<span style="letter-spacing:-.3pt"> </span>of<span style="letter-spacing:-.7pt"> </span>Appeal<span style="letter-spacing:-.15pt"> </span>on<span style="letter-spacing:-.3pt"> </span>15<span style="position:relative;top:-3.5pt;mso-text-raise:3.5pt">th<span style="letter-spacing:1.1pt"> </span></span>December,<span style="letter-spacing: -.2pt"> </span>2022<span style="letter-spacing:-.25pt"> </span>(See<span style="letter-spacing:-.25pt"> </span>page<span style="letter-spacing:-.3pt"> </span>83 of the Record of Appeal).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-left:0cm;line-height:115%"><span style="font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">This<span style="letter-spacing:-.15pt"> </span>appeal is<span style="letter-spacing:-.1pt"> </span>premised on<span style="letter-spacing:-.05pt"> </span>the<span style="letter-spacing:.05pt"> </span>following <span style="letter-spacing:-.1pt">grounds:</span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoBodyText" align="left" style="margin-left: 0cm; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif"> </span></p><p class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom: 0cm;margin-left:35.95pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:115%;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops:42.95pt"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:115%">a.<span style="font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: "Times New Roman";"> &