Student jailed for attempted suicide

Cape-Coast, Aug. 24, GNA - A circuit court at Cape-Coast on Wednesday sentenced John Arthur, a 20-year old student of the National Vocational Training Institute (NVTI), to 24 months' imprisonment for attempting to commit suicide while in Police cells.

Arthur, who was initially arrested for allegedly stealing 1.5 million cedis belonging to one Mr James Biney, a newspaper vendor at Cape-Coast, was alleged to have poured faeces on his whole body and the floor of the Police cell and also attempted to cut off his penis with a sharp edge of a broken piece of a plastic container, thereby injuring himself.

He was consequently charged on three counts, of stealing, nuisance and attempted suicide.

Arthur pleaded guilty for attempting to commit suicide but not guilty for the other two offences.

Mr Mustapha Logoh, the judge, sentenced him on his own plea and adjourned the stealing and nuisance cases to September 13. Earlier, prosecuting Police Chief Inspector Hope Azasoo told the court that on Thursday August 18 2005, Biney went to a newspaper stand at 0700 hours when it was drizzling under the pretext of buying newspaper, while the vendor was busily packing some of the papers to prevent them from getting wet.

Chief Inspector Azasoo alleged that, Arthur secretly took the money and started moving away without buying any paper and when Mr Biney detected the theft, he quickly asked Arthur to come back and when a search was conducted on him the money was found on him and he was subsequently handed over to the Police.