The Hohoe Circuit Court has sentenced Ernest Condobrey alias Badman, a 19 year-old unemployed to eight years imprisonment for defiling an eleven year-old girl.
Condobrey pleaded guilty to the counts of defilement of a female under 16 years of age, indecent assault and threat of death but pleaded not guilty to the count of conspiracy to commit crime.
Presenting the facts of the case to the court presided over by Mr. Yaw Poku Achampong, Police Inspector George Doe, said the complainant was a trader and mother of the victim, an eleven year-old pupil, whilst the accused person Ernest Condobrey alias Badman, is a 19 year-old unemployed.
He said on March 11, 2019 at about 1500 hours, the complainant went to Hohoe Zongo SK Park to attend to her late mother’s funeral so she took the victim with her.
The prosecutor said the following day March 12, between 1130 hours and 1200 hours, the victim and her sister without informing their parents went to the Danyi River to swim.
He said Condobrey and Bala Hamza (Still standing trial in the instance case at the court) also went to swim and met the victim swimming in the same river.
The prosecution said a few minutes later, the accused persons swam towards the victim and held her legs in the river and pulled her to the deep end of the river.
He said the victim started shouting for help but the accused warned her to stop or else they will kill her in the river.
The prosecution said the victim kept quiet for the fear of death and the accused persons had sexual intercourse with her in the river.
He said witnesses at the crime scene took videos of the incident with their mobile phones and the said video was played at the work place of one Razak, a brother of the victim and upon seeing the victim in that circumstances, he ran to the crime scene to rescue her.
The prosecution said the brother of the victim met Bala Hamza still having sex with the victim and arrested him with the help of others but Ernest ran away.
He said the police rushed to the scene after they were called on phone and Bala was handed over to them.
The prosecution said the police took Bala to the police station where he denied committing the offences during interrogation.
He however said a medical form issued by the police and duly endorsed by a medical officer indicated that the victim was defiled.
Source: GNA