I am unable to sleep - Man accused of murder tells court

Thomas Kofi Owusu, a block manufacturer who allegedly battered his wife to death with a hoe and injured his seven year-old stepson at Dankyira in the Ga West Municipality says he is unable to sleep after the incident.

Owusu on August 5, this year, collapsed in court after he was asked to enter the dock for his case to be heard. However on entering the dock, he collapsed and it took the intervention of the Police and court officials to resuscitate him.

Soon after the case was adjourned, the accused was rushed to the Police Hospital.

When he appeared before the court on Tuesday, the court presided over by Mr Worlayo Kotoku asked him how he was doing.

Owusu told the court that “I am unable to sleep after the incident. In fact I don’t remember the last time that I slept.”

When the court demand from the Police whether he had been receiving treatment, Detective Chief Inspector Simon Apiorsornu informed the court that Owusu has been receiving treatment at the Police Hospital.

The court therefore directed the Police to make available Owusu’s medical records to the court. Prosecuting Chief Inspector Apiorsornu added that Owusu’s Bill of Indictment was not ready hence prayed the court for an adjournment.

Owusu is alleged to have smashed the heads of the deceased and her son with a hoe several times following a misunderstanding. He also locked the deceased and her injured son in a room and reported himself to the Police at Amasaman last year.

Owusu aged 56 who is being held for murder and causing harm had his plea reserved.

The case as presented by the Prosecution was Faustina Esinu Owusu aged 40 years was the wife of Owusu and they had been married for the past four years. Owusu and Faustina lived at Danchira, near Amanfrom in the Greater Accra Region.

According to the prosecutor, accused and Faustina lived with the victim Benedict Agboada, the son of the deceased and Comfort Akoto, niece of the deceased aged 13 years.

On October 30, last year at about 8:30 pm, Owusu went to Amasaman Police station and reported that he had killed his wife Faustina and injured his stepson Agboada and locked them up in their room.

Prosecution said the Police immediately arrested Owusu and escorted him to his house and found his wife dead in a pool of blood in their living room while his stepson, Agboada was also found lying beside his mother with severe wounds to his head gasping for breath.

According to the Prosecutor, Agboada was rushed to the Amasaman Government Hospital for treatment and later transferred to the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital where he is receiving treatment at the Intensive Care Unit.

The Prosecutor said the body of Faustina was initially deposited at the Police Hospital but has since been transferred to the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital Morgue awaiting autopsy.

Prosecution said Owusu in his investigation caution statement admitted killing his wife and causing harm to his stepson. According to the prosecutor preliminary investigations conducted revealed that on October 30, last year at about 8:00pm while the couple were retiring to bed, a misunderstanding ensued between them in their bedroom.

In the process, prosecution said Owusu pulled deceased from the bedroom to their living room and hit her head with a hoe several times till she fell unconscious and died.

Not satisfied with the act, Owusu hit his stepson’s head with the hoe and he became unconscious.