Hohoe (V/R), Jun. 29, GNA – Fitti Bless, a 21-year-old painter based in Hohoe, has been sentenced to 10 years imprisonment by the Hohoe Circuit Court for unlawful entry and causing harm to three children of his neighbour.
Fitti, who committed the offence in November last year, pleaded not guilty when the case was first called hence enabling a full trial until June 2022 when the convict was handed the sentence.
The Court presided over by Mr Michael Johnson Abbey found the convict guilty of unlawful entry and causing harm to three children aged 16, 13 and eight, being the daughters of the complainant who is a driver.
The Court said the sentence was to serve as deterrent to others who would commit similar offences.
Chief Inspector Charles Aziati, the Prosecutor said on November 29, last year, the complainant and wife travelled for trading activities and left their children behind.
He said at about 2358 hours same day, the 16 and eight-year-old victims and two other siblings of theirs were in their inner room watching television while the 13-year-old victim was in the hall, adding that the 13-year-old victim within the period, heard a knock at their door but did not open.
Chief Inspector Aziati said the convict forced the door opened and entered the room with cutlass and went straight to the inner room and started “butchering” the 16 and eight-year-old victims with the cutlass.
He said the 13-year-old victim upon noticing the incident took a stick and hit the convict to stop the act.
Chief Inspector Aziati said the convict turned on the 13-year-old and slashed her head with the cutlass and she collapsed, leading the two other siblings to run out unhurt.
He said the victim then started screaming after regaining consciousness and calling the name of one man who also lives in the same house for help adding that the convict noticing the shout for help from the victim, took to his heels.
Chief Inspector Aziati said the victims were rushed to the hospital by some three people and they were admitted for treatment.
He noted that before the victims were sent to the hospital, the 13-year-old who was stable among the three victims, mentioned the name of the convict to the people in the neighbourhood as the one who inflicted cutlass wounds on them.
Chief Inspector Aziati said the Assemblyman for the area mobilised the youth and the convict was arrested and handed over to the police.
He said while the victims were on admission at the hospital, police visited them, took photographs of their injuries, took statements from them and issued them with medical forms.
He said the convict denied the offence during investigations and pleaded not to be at crime scene and time of the offence, but investigations proved otherwise.
GNA