Judge shed tears in Kasoa teens murder case

Justice Lydia Osei Marfo, a High Court Judge, on Thursday, shed tears when she read out the chilling accounts of how two teenagers allegedly killed 10-year-old Ishamael Mensah Abdallah in Kasoa last year.

The trial judge became emotional while reading the brief facts of the case in her ruling, indicating that the Court will now conduct a jury trial for two Kasoa Teenagers who are being held for killing Abdallah.

Referring to a section of the facts which indicated that when one of the accused struck Abdallah with a club in the head and the deceased asked for forgiveness if he had wronged them, the trial judge then paused, lifted her spectacle, and used her handkerchief to wipe tears from her eyes.

"I am sorry, " the Judge told the audience in the courtroom. 

The Court had earlier held that it was going to try the young offenders summarily but when sitting resumed today, it ruled that the trial would be done by jury.

According to the Court, after careful research, consultations and a look at the constitution and the Juvenile Justice Act, it would try the young offender by jury adding that if they were found guilty at the end of the trial, it would hand over the minor to the Juvenile court for sentencing.

 It, therefore, ordered the Registrar of the Court to summon men and women who qualify as jurors to appear before it for them to be empanelled.

The matter has been adjourned to July 5.

The accused, including a minor (name withheld) who is also a school dropout and Felix Nyarko, a student, had been charged with conspiracy and murder.

The two teens were said to have murdered Ishmael Mensah Abdallah on April 3, 2021, for ritual purposes, after they lured him into an uncompleted building and killed him with a club and cement block.

GNA