Man jailed 10 years for assault on policemen

Bright Kumadey, aka Lebene, a driver, was on Wednesday sentenced to 10 years imprisonment by an Accra circuit court on the charge of causing harm to a police officer by running over him with his private car.

The fact of the case was that Kumadey assaulted two policemen and injured three others in their attempt to arrest him for threatening to kill his father.

Kumadey pleaded guilty to two counts of assaulting police officers and two counts of resisting arrest.

The court sentenced him to two years imprisonment on each count. Sentences were to run concurrently.

On an additional charge of attempting to commit murder, Kumadey pleaded not guilty and the court, presided over by Mr Francis Obiri, remanded him to reappear on January 29.

Prosecuting, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Reindolph Agyemang, told the court that the complainants were policemen stationed at Darkuman Police Station while Kumadey resides at Darkuman Official Town.

On December 28, last year, Detective Lance Corporal Nelson Oppong and Corporal Isaac Darko were detailed to arrest Kumadey who had threatened to kill his father.

Kumadey resisted arrest and with the assistance of some friends managed to head-butt Corporal Darko. Corporal Darko sustained some injuries.

The two policemen, Darko and Oppong, therefore, called for reinforcement from the station; while calling for the reinforcement, Kumadey jumped into his car and drove into a nearby kiosk where Lance Corporal Oppong was standing.

Prosecution said L/C Oppong, in an attempt to avoid being hit by the accused person, jumped but fell on the bonnet of Kumadey’s car. He sustained various injuries on the head and face.

Kumadey then drove on for a distance of about 100 meters before L/C Oppong managed to get down. Kumadey stopped and chased him with a broken bottle but L/C Oppong dashed out into a nearby house for refuge.

Prosecution said Kumadey then sped off in his vehicle on seeing that L/C Oppong had been rescued by people in the area. L/C Oppong was later rushed to a nearby clinic for treatment.

On January 12 this year, the Police at Darkuman received information that Kumadey had returned home and a team of police officers led by Chief Inspector Osman Nai Agyemang, station officer, proceeded to Kumadey’s house to arrest him.

On seeing the policemen, Kumadey pulled a machete and warned Chief Inspector Isaiah Muwuli Adiku, a member of the team, that; “if you get close to me I will harm you”.

Prosecution said the policemen tactfully managed to apprehend Kumadey. However, during the struggle, Kumadey took a broken bottle and inflicted several wounds on Detective Corporal Alexander Quansah’s left hand.

The policemen, who sustained injuries during Kumadey’s arrest, were sent to a clinic where they were treated and discharged.

Prosecution said the police are yet to trace Kumadey’s vehicle.