Court remands accused and orders dental x-ray to ascertain age

A Kumasi Circuit Court presided over by Madam Mary Nsenkyire, has ordered for a forensic dental x-ray to be performed on a teen, accused of robbery attempt, to determine the real age.

Unemployed Gilbert Amande, the accused, pleaded guilty to the crime and was refused bail and remanded in prison custody to come back to Court on April 04, 2019.

Accused claimed his age was 17 years, but Madam Nsenkyire, said the Court could not go on with the trial, until his age was ascertained.

This is because accused who had been in the same Court some time back on same charges, jumped bail when his case was transferred to the Asokwa Juvenile Court for trial to continue.

Madam Nsenkyire said the trial judge of the Juvenile Court, after committing him to bail due to his age, adjourned the case to a later date and asked him to be reporting to the Court daily till he would come back on the adjourned date.

"Accused however jumped bail and was never seen again until he was brought back to the Court charged with the same offence", she added.

She expressed worry that such behaviour of juveniles in trouble with the law, made it difficult for trial judges to grant them bail.

prosecuting, in the current case, Chief Inspector Timothy Amoako, told the court that both the accused and Faustina For, complainant who is a seamstress, lived in Santasi, a Kumasi suburb.

On 20th October last year, around 2100 hours, accused, wielding a piece of metal attacked the complainant while she was on her way home after work.

The Accused then attempted to snatch her mobile phone, but she resisted this, he then hit complainant many times with the metal and in the process, she sustained multiple wounds on the legs, head and back.

He bolted the scene, leaving victim to her fate, as she screamed for help.

Complainant, after receiving help from those passers-by, reported the case to the police who issued a medical form to her to attend hospital.

Accused who was later spotted in the vicinity, was arrested by some members of the community and handed over to the police.

During investigations, he admitted the offence in a volunteered caution statement.

He was then charged and arraigned.