Beggar convicted for biting of trader's lip

Accra, Feb. 3, GNA - A partially blind beggar, who bit off the lower lip of a trader during a scuffle, was on Wednesday convicted on his own plea and fined one million cedis or in default serve a six-month jail sentence.

Thomas Dondayi pleaded guilty to causing unlawful harm before an Accra District Magistrate's Court.

Dondayi would pay one million cedis as compensation to Mr Emmanuel Osei, the complainant.

In Dondayi's explanation to the Court, he said during the scuffle, he was under the influence of alcohol and was angry after Mr Osei had slapped him twice.

According to Dondayi, Mr Osei's head was close his face and he had no option than to bite off his lower lip.

The case as presented by Chief Inspector Alice Yeboah was that Dondayi and his girlfriend resided in the same house with Mr Osei. On January 16, Dondayi's girlfriend washed her clothes and hanged them on a drying line in front of Mr Osei's door.

Mr Osei shifted the clothes from his entrance to enter his room, but Dondayi's girlfriend was offended and rained insults on Mr Osei. Mr Osei asked Dondayi to advise his girlfriend about her unruly behaviour but this degenerated into a fight between Mr Osei and Dondayi during which he bit off the lower lip of Mr Osei.