I killed My Daughter For Her Immorality

George Martey, a 48-year-old driver of Tema, yesterday told the Tema Circuit Court 'B' that the incident that led to the murder of his 16-year-old daughter, Miss Portia Martey, on Easter Monday was because she refused to sleep at home during the Easter festivities.

The court which was filled to capacity with people who wanted to catch a glimpse of the accused, shook their heads in awe when the accused explained to the court that his daughter, a junior secondary school (JSS) Form Two student, had ignored several warnings to stop her immoral behaviour.

Martey pleaded guilty and was remanded in custody to reappear on May 19, 2006.

He was arrested on Tuesday for stabbing his daughter with a kitchen knife in an apparent fit of rage in the night of Easter Monday.

He explained that he did not intentionally stab his daughter but that he was taking the knife from her when the incident occurred, resulting in her death.

Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Duuti Tuaruka, prosecuting, told the court, presided over by Mr Nicholas Mensah Abodakpi, that, the accused resided in Tema Community Seven, together with Portia and other family members.

He said for some time now Martey had been threatening his siblings and his daughter in the house, adding that they had ignored his threats.

He said at about 11.30 p.m. on Monday, April 17, 2006, Martey rushed to the kitchen and picked a knife, with which he stabbed Portia on the left side of her chest when he saw Portia conversing with some young men in front of their main gate.

The prosecutor said Martey took to his heels, still holding the knife, after the incident but was chased and arrested by neighbours and sent to the Community Eight Police Station.

He said the corpse had been deposited at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital mortuary for autopsy after Portia was pronounced dead on arrival at the Tema General Hospital.

The Tema Regional Police Commander, Mr Daniel Odai, told journalists at a press briefing on Tuesday that the police received information on Monday that there had been a fatal stabbing in a house at Community 7, reports George Sydney Abugri.

He said police officers who rushed to the house found a pool of blood in the sitting room.

Mr Odai said the police were told that the victim had been rushed to the Tema General Hospital.

“When police investigators got to the Tema General Hospital, they were informed by medical staff that the victim had been pronounced dead on arrival,” he said.

He said police investigators, however, revealed that the suspect “drank very heavily and smoked excessively” and that whenever he was drunk, he attacked neighbours.

Mr Odai said investigators were told that Martey had become a nuisance to the neighbourhood.

The police found that Martey was separated from the late Portia's mother, who also lived in Tema.