Amputee in prison for inflicting cutlass wounds on teacher

A 41-year-old amputee farmer, who inflicted cutlass wounds on the forehead of a teacher due to a misunderstanding over electricity bill, has been remanded in prison custody.

John Asuming has pleaded not guilty to a charge of causing harm to the teacher, Patric Brako Darkwah of the Maase Methodist Junior High School in the East Akim Municipality of the Eastern Region.

Three prosecution witnesses, including the teacher, have testified in the case being heard by the New Tafo-Akim District Magistrate Court.

The investigator in the case was expected to have given his evidence on Thursday, but was engaged in another case in a different court, prompting the magistrate to adjourn proceedings to November 23.

The accused person, whose right hand is amputated, is scheduled to open his defence after the investigator has adduced his evidence to end prosecution’s case.

Police prosecutors told the court that the incident happened on November 7, 2017 after the wife of the accused had quarreled with the victim over the electricity bill.

The teacher was said to have told the wife of the accused person that her husband owes electricity bill, something that angered the woman who then informed her husband.

The accused person was at his farm at the time the misunderstanding ensured but the wife called to inform him about it, the court heard.

“Accused who did not take kindly to what the wife told him, took offence and went to the school and attacked the complainant with a cutlass and inflicted a wound on his forehead,” Detective Sergeant Barnabas Mends told the court.

According to the prosecution, the teachers at the school managed to disarm the accused person, who then left the school premises.

A report was made to the police and while the accused was being sought for, he reported to the Police station with his wife to also lodge a complaint against the victim but he was identified and arrested. After investigations, he was charged and put before court.