In the Eastern Region’s Akim Asuboa near Akim Oda, Joseph Kwesi Effah, a 66-year-old farmer, has pleaded for forgiveness from the family of Prince Kwabena Kumi, a 36-year-old Aeronautic Engineer he mistakenly shot and killed in 2018.
Initially claiming he mistook the victim for an animal, Effah changed his plea to guilty for manslaughter upon his 2021 arrest.
At the High Court in Accra, Justice Lydia Osei Marfo sentenced Effah to five years in hard labor.
The remorseful farmer, a father of 13 and a tailor, knelt and begged for forgiveness from the deceased’s family, expressing deep regret: “I have regretted my actions. It was not my intention for the victim to lose his life.”
Mr Effah, a member of a neighborhood watch committee for community safety, explained the circumstances surrounding the incident.
“I have regretted my actions. It was not my intention for the victim to lose his life. I agreed to serve the society and community out of love. I have never had any encounter or fought with anybody”.
“Sometimes, when it is time for me to go and serve the community, I lock two of my little children in the room to enable me to go and return home safely,” he said to the family while sobbing”.
“At the time the incident happened, it never occurred to me that a Human being could be at the bush at that time. I am deeply sorry and I plead with the family of the victim who are present in court to forgive me and that it was not intentional.
“If I had been able to fulfill the bail conditions, I would have gone to see some elders to accompany me to the family of the deceased and render my apology to them,” the Convict pleaded.
“I am pleading with the family of the deceased present to forgive me and for the court to forgive me as well and that it was not intentional. I am also pleading with the court to help me apologize to the family of the deceased and that it was not intentional”.
However, the family found his apology difficult to accept, citing the delay in coming forward, as the incident occurred in 2018, and Effah was only arrested in 2021. They shared the profound impact of the tragedy on their lives.
While the prosecution acknowledged the unintentional nature of the act, they emphasized that it led to the death of a cherished family member.
The court, considering Effah’s guilty plea and the three years he spent in custody, handed down a five-year prison sentence with hard labor.
The tragic incident unfolded during a patrol when Effah and a fellow committee member heard a snoring sound in the bush. Believing it was an animal, Effah fired his gun, later realizing he had shot a human being. Despite the recognition of the mistake, they left the scene without reporting it to the police.
The pathologist determined the cause of death as hemorrhagic shock, severe jaw and chest injuries, and a gunshot at intermediate range. The ballistic report confirmed that the pellets retrieved from the deceased’s body matched those from the guns of the neighborhood watch committee members, including Effah.
This case serves as a somber reminder of the unintended consequences that can result from negligent actions, even within the context of community safety efforts. Effah’s guilty plea and subsequent sentencing aim to provide some measure of justice for the family of the deceased. The court has adjourned the case to November 16 for a pre-trial hearing.