Woman jailed 15 years for killing ex-boyfriend

A HO High Court presided over by Mr Justice Paul Gyaesayor has sentenced a 42- year old woman from Agbledome-Dzita in the Keta District to 15 years imprisonment with hard labour for killing her former boy friend.

Cecilia Gadzeku, alias Awushie was convicted after she had pleaded guilty to the charge of manslaughter under Section 239 (3) of the Criminal Code. She was charged for intentionally and unlawfully causing the death of her 61-year old boyfriend, Ametepe Kporwudu, an ex-serviceman.

Prosecuting, the Chief State Attorney for the Volta Region, Mrs Felicia Ochthere-Darko said sometime in 1999, the accused made a monetary demand from the deceased but he could not fulfil the request so the relationship became sour and the woman entered into a new relationship with another man. She said in spite of the marred relationship, the man continued to visit her with the hope to revive it.

Mrs Octhere-Darko said on December 28, 1999 the deceased visited the accused again causing her to be infuriated to warrant an attack on him. The Chief State Attorney said the accused used an iron bar to hit the deceased on the head and made him fall adding that she continued to hit the deceased with the bar until he became unconscious.

She said when Cecilia realised that the condition of the deceased worsened she abandoned him and went to inform his relatives to come for their kinsman who was at t he verge of death.

The prosecutor said when the relatives arrived in Cecilia?s house they found their kinsman in a pool of blood with several injuries on his body, adding that he died on his way to the hospital. The accused was therefore arrested. She was represented by Mr Mensah Etsi, a Ho-based legal practitioner