The Bekwai Circuit Court has imposed a seven-year prison sentence with hard labour on a 27-year-old house help, Ernest Agyei, for an acid attack that left a senior high school leaver with severe injuries.
In addition to the custodial sentence of 84 months, the court ordered Agyei to pay 500 penalty units, amounting to GH¢6,000, as compensation to the victim, Benjamin Asante, a former student of Yamfo Anglican Secondary School in the Bono Region.
Agyei pleaded not guilty to the charge, but the court, presided over by Mr. Isaac Apeatu, found him guilty after a full trial. In delivering judgment, the court dismissed the defence’s claim that the incident was accidental, pointing to evidence of prior tension and a confrontation between the accused and the victim before the attack.
The court established that the incident stemmed from a disagreement during a tile-cleaning exercise involving acid. Prosecution told the court that tempers flared after an argument between the convict and another individual, Kwadwo Tawiah, which later escalated when Agyei approached Asante and was dissatisfied with his response.
According to Chief Inspector Christian Amartey, who led the prosecution, the confrontation degenerated into an exchange of insults, during which Agyei deliberately poured acid from a container onto Asante. The victim was rushed to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, where he spent about three months receiving treatment.
The prosecution urged the court to impose a stiff sentence, noting that the convict showed no remorse for his actions and stressing the need for deterrence. Although Agyei pleaded for leniency, the court agreed with the prosecution that the circumstances warranted a strong punishment.
Police investigations following the December 22, 2024 incident at Pakyi No. 2 led to Agyei’s arrest and subsequent prosecution, culminating in the conviction and sentence.
