Daniel Obirikwa Adjin, who stabbed his elder brother, William Adjin, to death in 2017 at Mamprobi in Accra, has been sentenced to life imprisonment by the Accra High Court.
The court, presided over by Justice Marie-Louise Simmons, found Adjin guilty by a jury in a 5-2 decision and was subsequently sentenced to life imprisonment.
During the trial, the convict told the court that he acted in self-defence, alleging his brother attacked him and held his testicles, prompting him to stab his brother.
He also attributed his actions to being intoxicated and confused after discovering his money had gone missing.
The prosecution’s case revealed that on March 19, 2017, William Adjin’s son, Daniel Adjei Adjin, heard a shout for help from his father, who was struggling with the convict.
The defence counsel for the convict expressed difficulty in accepting the jury’s decision but noted that, by law, they had no choice but to respect the verdict.
The prosecution’s case was that the complainant, Daniel Adjei Adjin, is the son of the deceased, William Adjin, and both were residents of Mamprobi. The convict is also the younger brother of the deceased.
On March 19, 2017, at about 9 p.m., the complainant retired to bed in their bedroom, while his father (the deceased) rested on the porch after finishing his meal.
The complainant stated that he suddenly heard a shout for help from his father, who was struggling with the convict. When the complainant got closer, he noticed that blood was oozing from his father’s collarbone, and the convict was attempting to stab him further with a knife.
The complainant then rushed to aid his father and grabbed the convict’s hand, preventing him from inflicting more wounds.
The complainant shouted for help, and a next-door neighbour, Sister Love, rushed to the scene with others. They attempted to retrieve the knife from the accused but failed because he was holding it firmly, causing the knife to break in the process.
The deceased was rescued and rushed to the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital Accident Centre for treatment, but about an hour later, the nurses informed the complainant that his father had died from the injuries.
The complainant reported the matter to the police at Mamprobi.
The complainant also indicated that after stabbing the deceased, the convict escaped and fled to James Town.
At James Town, the prosecution said the convict, upon seeing the mother and sister of the complainant, picked up something in an attempt to harm them. However, they called for help, and with the aid of people nearby, they managed to arrest the convict and took him to the James Town police station, where he was later transferred to the Mamprobi Police Station.
The post-mortem examination performed by Dr. Lawrence Edusei of the Department of Pathology at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital confirmed the cause of death as “Exsanguination and Multiple Stab Wounds.”