Quashed Juvenile court verdict frees Achimota student 'killer'

An Accra High Court has set aside judgment by a Juvenile court that jailed a final-year student of Achimota Senior High School in Accra for killing a female colleague in January 2017.

The High Court said there was a miscarriage of justice because the Juvenile Court delivered a verdict without waiting for a social enquiry report.

The jail term was imposed in September 2017 by a Juvenile Court presided over by Bernardine S.A Senoo.

He found the SHS student guilty of manslaughter and sentenced him to three years imprisonment at a Correctional Home.

Lily Donkor, who was also in her final year at Achimota High School, was shot dead by her friend after she had gone to visit him at his Community eight home in Tema on January 4, 2017. 
 
The convict has been serving his sentence in a Correctional facility since the September 2017 judgment.
 
But about six months since the judgment, a High Court has faulted the verdict.

The Court said the earlier ruling contravened the Juvenile Act which requires the report to be issued before sentencing. 

The Act also says the trial must not travel beyond six months.

When the Juvenile Court realised the six months was almost up it sentenced the suspect and ordered for the report to be put together.

SOURCE: myjoyonline
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