Man gets 20 years for killing wife in front of son

A 60-year-old man, Doe Fiano, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison by an Accra High Court for killing his wife in front of their four-year-old son.

The tragic incident happened at the couple’s home, where Fiano fatally shot his wife in the genitals. She died shortly after from her injuries.

Prosecutors revealed that the couple’s only child witnessed the attack and has since been deeply traumatised.

Fiano was initially charged with murder but pleaded guilty to manslaughter before Criminal Court 5, presided over by Justice Kizita Naa Koowa Quarshie. The court subsequently accepted the plea and convicted him accordingly.

During sentencing, his lawyer pleaded for a five-year term, citing that Fiano was a first-time offender, a respected community member, and the family’s main provider.

The defence also pointed out that he had already spent nearly two years in custody awaiting trial.

The prosecution, however, pushed for a 30-year sentence, arguing that the crime was brutal and had left lasting emotional scars on the young child.

They, therefore, called for justice that matched the gravity of the act.

Justice Quarshie acknowledged the mitigating factors but ruled that the severity of the crime warranted a longer sentence.

This case has reignited public concern about domestic violence and the lasting trauma it inflicts on children who witness such horrors.