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Driver’s mate to die by hanging

Jerry Essoh, 38, a driver’s mate, is to die by hanging at Sekondi, for killing his wife, Janet Yankey, 34, over prolonged marital issues at Ewusiejoe in the Ahanta West District of the Western Region, in December 2014.

Prosecutors say the accused shot his wife, Janet, alias Borloh Mansah, and bolted from the scene.

Before she delivered the sentence last Wednesday, the presiding High Court judge, Mrs Justice Hannah Taylor, told the jurors to limit their decision on the evidence in the court room and not to consider anything outside court proceedings.

Later, the jury after recess, returned a verdict of guilty of murder against Essoh, and, consequently, the court pronounced a death sentence on the accused.

Counsel for Essoh, Emmanuel Tsibua, told the jury that the Republic had not led sufficient evidence which showed that the accused caused the intentional death of Miss Yankey, and therefore, asked the court to return a verdict of not guilty against the accused.

The prosecutor, Principal State Attorney, George Sackey, asked the jury to return a verdict of guilty on Essoh, since from the evidence, the accused intended to cause the death of the victim without provocation.

He recalled that, Janet Yankey, alias Borlor Mansah, wife of the accused, stayed at Ewusiejoe togetherwith Essoh for 15 years and they had eight children.

Essoh, he told the court, did not perform any formal marriage rites on the deceased despite persistent demands for these rites to be done. 

Mr Sackey said in the evening of December 22, 2014, Essoh, who was a driver’s mate of a cargo truck, subjected Miss Yankey to severe beatings, and so, she packed her belongings to her grandmother’s house, “insisting she would not return until the accused had performed the marriage rites.”

On December 27, 2014, he said, the accused sneaked into his father’s bedroom, picked a single barrel shot gun and a cartridge and kept it in his own room.

Later, at about 10:30 pm on the same day, Essoh picked the gun and walked towards the deceased’s grandmother’s house and upon reaching the area; he hid the gun in a nearby bush and went to the house, where he invited the deceased to accompany him to his house to spend the night.

“The deceased refused and this resulted in an argument. Essoh rushed to the nearby bush and picked the shot gun, aimed it at the deceased who was then carrying her two-year-old daughter at the back, killing her instantly and injuring the two-year-old baby girl,” the prosecutor added.

Mr Sackey said Essoh fled the scene and went to the house of the uncle where he reported the incident and handed over the gun to him and then sneaked out and sought refuge elsewhere.

“After investigations, the accused was charged with the offence of murder and put before this court,” he stressed.

FROM CLEMENT ADZEI BOYE, SEKONDI

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