Farmer, 42, sentenced to life for murdering pregnant wife

A 42-YEAR-OLD farmer at Kankyi-Akura, near Nkwanta in the Oti Region, Simon Kwabena, who inflicted multiple cutlass wounds on his pregnant wife, resulting in her death was last Monday sentenced to life imprisonment by a Ho High Court.

Although he pleaded not guilty to murder, Kwabena maintained that he inflicted multiple cuts on his wife, Lasim Nignen, because she annoyed him.

The court, presided over by Charity Asem, was told that the incident took place five years ago on May 20 at about 4.30pm.

A Senior State Attorney, Andrews Dodzi Adugu, who represented the republic, said immediately after the act, the assembly member of the area told the police about how Kwabena butchered the 30-year-old woman and then went into hiding in a nearby bush and stabbed himself.

The prosecution said the police proceeded to the scene and rushed the bleeding woman to the St. Joseph Hospital in Nkwanta where she was declared dead on arrival.

The foetus was also found to be dead.

The senior state attorney said the assembly member later led the police to Kwabena’s hideout where he was lying after stabbing himself.

He said a post mortem examination carried out on the woman’s body revealed the cause of death as hemorrhagic shock, multiple laceration and alleged assault.

The body was released for burial. Meanwhile, a witness in the case narrated how she saw Kwabena inflicting the cutlass wounds on the deceased.

The witness said when she approached the scene and told Kwabena to stop what he was doing, he chased her away with the cutlass.

The prosecution said during interrogation by the police, Kwabena admitted inflicting the cutlass wounds on his wife but said it was because she annoyed him by insulting him.

Kwabena showed no emotions when he was being led out of the court to start his sentence.