Trader breaks student’s spine

A trader has been put before an Accra circuit court, accused of beating and hitting a student on a metal bridge several times till he had his spine broken and fell unconscious.

The suspect, Frank Obeng, was put before an Accra circuit court presided over by Mrs Ellen V. Amoah and charged with causing harm to Michael Kpabitey, a 24-year-old student, who has since lost his ability to walk.

He had pleaded not guilty and had been remanded, while the case has been adjourned to November 3, 2014.

The facts of the case presented by ACP Kofi Atibilla are that the complainant John Kpabitey is a pensioner while the accused person is a trader residing at Achimota.

He said on July 20, 2014 at 8:10 pm, the complainant brought his son Michael, a student of Simple Advance Technical College at Kukurantumi unconscious in a taxi to Tesano Police Station and made a case against the trader.

According to him, a medical report form was issued to him to send the victim to the hospital and report for investigations.

The ACP said further investigations disclosed that on July 20, 2014 about 7:15 pm, the victim visited his friend Kwabena Baah, a witness in the case at his drinking spot at Achimota.

He noted that while the accused person emerged from nowhere and for reason best known to him began to beat up the victim, Baah together with other people who were present at the bar separated them.

The police officer said on that same day, the victim went to the house only to be told by his sister that the accused person had come earlier to their house with a knife and threatened to kill him if he met him.

In addition, he said the victim became afraid and left the house, and while going out to town, he, unfortunately, met the accused on a concrete bridge in their area.

The officer stated that Obeng upon seeing Michael pounced on him and assaulted him mercilessly and lifted the victim up and hit him against the bridge, thereby breaking his spinal cord in the process.

A medical report obtained from Dr Akosua N.Opoku Asare of Trauma and Casualty Centre at Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital also confirmed the injury to the victim and further referred him to surgery department of the hospital for further management.

The ACP observed that the management also suggested surgery on the victim at the cost of GH¢5,500 and indicated that there was no possibility of Micheal’s ability to walk after the surgery.

He said the victim who could not raise both legs and hands is now bed- ridden and also uses catheter to pass urine.

Explaining further, he stated that on August 18, 2014 about 8:00am, the trader was arrested for investigations.

The officer said investigations were ongoing.