Muntalla Mohammed Binlard, a businessman who defiled a seven-year-old girl at Nima has been sentenced to 25 years in absentia by an Accra Circuit Court.
This was after the court had found Binlard aged 31, guilty of the charge of defilement, taking into consideration the extent of damage caused the seven-year-old minor after the act.
The victim is still receiving monthly treatment at the 37 Military Hospital in Accra.
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Binlard, who was standing trial jumped bail together with his sureties. Although the Court had issued a bench warrant for his arrest, he never showed up in court to open his defence.
The court presided over by Mrs Abena Oppong Adjin-Doku further ruled that a bench warrant issued earlier for Binlard’s arrest was still in force.
According to the court Binlard’s sentence starts anytime he would be arrested by the Police.
The court noted that, as part of the bail conditions, Binlard was ordered by the court to make a security deposit of GH¢5,000.00.
It, therefore, ordered the release of the said GH¢5,000.00 to the complainant as compensation.
The court, however, discharged Binlard on the charge of incest, noting that, the charge of incest and defilement were two substantive charges and since prosecution has been able to prove the charge of defilement, it found it prudent to sentence the convict on defilement in line with the law.
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The court noted that although Binlard was not in court to open his defence, it relied on his statements submitted to the Police.
According to the court, there was overwhelming evidence against Binlard.
The victim’s mother, who sat in court while judgment was read, could not hold back her tears.
When the trial judge asked her how the victim was faring, the victim’s mother said: “she is doing well but now we visit the 37 Military Hospital every one month”.
It took some senior police officers to console the victim’s mother in court.
The case of the prosecution was that the complainant is the mother of the victim and the two reside at Maamobi in Accra. Binlard also resides at Nima.
The prosecution said on July 20, 2016, at about 1000 hours, Binlard, who is a step-brother to victim met her (Victim) and the complainant at a nearby house where the complainant had paid a visit to a friend.
Binlard, being a brother asked the complainant to allow him to send the victim home and bring her back to the complainant later during the day.
This prosecution said the complainant obliged. At about 1630 hours, the victim arrived home telling the mother that Binlard gave her to two men on a motorbike to bring her home. Thereafter the victim told the complainant that she would like to urinate.
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The prosecution said the complainant in the course of removing the victim’s pant she saw blood coming out of the victim’s vagina and “also something like human flesh coming out of the victim’s vagina” and the complainant shouted for help.
According to the prosecution, some sympathizers who came to the scene assisted her to lodge a complaint at the Police Station, where a medical form was issued to the complainant to seek medical care for the victim.
The prosecution said the victim then informed her mother that Binlard bought her cooked rice and after eating, she slept and woke up only to see Binlard inserting his finger into her vagina.
Based on that, the prosecution said Binlard was arrested.