Court orders accused to be sent for psychiatric examination

Kumasi, July 19, GNA - A circuit court in Kumasi on Tuesday ordered an accused person standing trial for assault to be sent to the Psychiatric Hospital at Ankaful in the Central Region for examination.

The order followed a plea from the accused person's mother who was the complainant that she believed her son had a mental problem since he sometimes walked naked in the house as well as some other gestures, which baffled her.

It all started when the court was about to sentence the accused and the mother who could not bear seeing her son sent to prison raised her hand and explained to the court that she thought her son had a mental problem.

Kwaku Debrah, the accused, is to re-appear on August 2 when the result of the examination is expected to be presented to the court. Police Chief Inspector Evelyn Addo had told the court presided over by Mr Adutwum Mmorosa that at about 0200 hours on July 9, this year, Madam Comfort Anamang, the complainant and Debrah's mother was awaken by the loud noise of her son's sound system, which disturbed South Suntreso neighbourhood.

She said the complainant entered her son's room and lowered the volume of the music but to her surprise, Debrah became offended and kicked his mother who fell to the ground.

While on the floor, the prosecution said, the accused went for a kitchen stool and hit his mother again. Not satisfied, Debrah took a flask full of hot water and poured it on her.

Chief Inspector Addo said as a result of the assault, Madam Anamang had a cut on her upper lip and also bled profusely from the nose, which made her to attend the Seventh-Day Adventist Hospital at Kwadaso for treatment from where she went to the Suntreso Police Station to make a report.

She said when the police got to the house to arrest the accused, they had difficulty in effecting the arrest and when he was eventually overpowered, he admitted upon interrogation to have committed the offence.