Father jailed for burning son's fingers over biscuit

Accra, Oct. 5, GNA - A 32-year old father who burned the nine fingers of his son on a gas burner was on Monday sentenced to 24-month imprisonment in hard labour by an Accra Circuit Court.

Isaac Bortier a driver at Nungua in Accra, who was charged with causing unlawful harm, pleaded guilty and prayed the court for leniency.

The convict is said to have gotten furious after the victim had fought with his junior step brother over biscuit bought by the convict.

The court presided over by Mrs Abena Oppong Adjin-Doku convicted Bortier on his own plea.

The court, however, in convicting Bortier noted that, the victim aged seven, who was in court only had one of his finger saved from the burns.

According to the court, the victim's hands were in bandage, however pictures exhibited in court showed that he sustained severe burns on nine out of his 10 fingers.

It noted that medical report on the victim corroborated the extent of burns.

The trial judge further noted that the accused person had also not shown remorse over his action hence the sentence.

Prosecuting Chief Inspector J.B Asante said the complainant, name withheld, is the mother of the victim who is a nursery two pupil.

According to Chief Inspector Asante, the victim's mother and Bortier were separated, and that, Bortier took custody of the victim.

Chief Inspector Asante said the victim therefore reside at Nungua together with his father, step brother and step mother.

On September 23, this year, the victim was fighting with his step brother over biscuit bought by their father, and on seeing the fight between the two, Bortier got furious, grabbed the victim and dragged him to the corridor where his new wife (victim's step mother) was cooking.

The prosecutor said the convict, pulled the victim to a heated gas burner and pressed all his 10 fingers on the gas burner and left him to his fate.

Prosecution said Bortier kept the incident secret and nursed the victim wounds in the house. However on September 27, this year a nine year old girl informed the victim mother, who rescued the victim.

The prosecutor said complainant reported the incident to the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit in Nungua and a medical form was issued to her to send the victim to the hospital.

Complainant sent the medical report to the Police and accused was nabbed.

GNA