The Bekwai Circuit Court has sentenced a 27-year-old househelp to 84 months in prison with hard labour for pouring acid on a recent senior high school graduate.
The convict, Ernest Agyei, was also ordered to pay 500 penalty units—equivalent to GHC 6,000—as compensation to the victim, Benjamin Asante, a former student of Yamfo Anglican Senior High School in the Bono Region.
Although Agyei denied the allegations, he was found guilty after a full trial. In delivering the sentence, the presiding judge, Isaac Apeatu, dismissed Agyei’s claim that the incident was accidental, citing evidence of an earlier confrontation.
The court found that tensions had escalated during a tile-cleaning exercise involving acid, following disagreements among the individuals present.
Prosecutors argued that Agyei showed no remorse and urged the court to impose a deterrent sentence. Agyei, however, pleaded for leniency.
Chief Inspector Christian Amartey testified that the incident occurred on December 22, 2024, at Pakyi No. 2, where Agyei was employed as a house help. He explained that an argument had broken out between Agyei and another worker, Kwadwo Tawiah.
When Agyei reported the issue to Asante, the complainant declined to get involved. According to the prosecution, Agyei became upset, leading to an exchange of words between the two. During the confrontation, Agyei poured acid from a container on Asante.
The victim was later taken to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, where he was hospitalized for three months.
