An Accra High Court has sentenced a driver to death by hanging for murdering a British Missionary in an old farm at Nsawam.
The driver, Kofi Seidu, who is also a farm manager is said to have murdered and buried a British Missionary, Reverend Sidney Barnes in 2010.
The death sentence was given after a seven-member jury unanimously returned a verdict of guilty on him in respect of the charge of murder.
On the charge of conspiracy to commit murder, however, the jury returned a verdict of not guilty on Seidu and Reverend Goodwill Padmore, an in-law of Reverend Sidney Barnes.
The court, therefore, acquitted and discharged them on the charge of conspiracy. But Seidu, who is to be hanged has 30 days to appeal against his conviction.
Background
The Prosecution said the 75-year-old deceased was a missionary attached to the Calvary Chapel in the United States of America.
The prosecution said in 1997, the deceased came to Ghana as a missionary and established the Crossroads Christian Mission Incorporated in Koforidua in the Eastern Region.
He also established Prestige Secretarial and Computer School, Koforidua and owned Manna Missions Farms at Akwamu Amanfo, near Nsawam.
The prosecution said the deceased Rev Barnes, employed Seidu as a driver and farm manager and Rev. Padmore as the Principal of the Computer and Secretarial School in Koforidua.
Sometime in December 2009, the deceased took his leave and traveled to the USA on holidays but he constantly communicated with his employees, especially Rev. Padmore.
On March 10, 2009, the prosecution said the deceased informed Rev Padmore that he would be returning to Ghana on March 18, 2010, on board a British Airways Flight.
The deceased, therefore, asked Rev. Padmore to inform Seidu, the driver to pick him up at the airport in the evening of March 18.
On that day, Rev. Padmore instructed Seidu to pick the deceased up but later on Seidu called to inform Rev. Padmore that the deceased Rev Barnes was nowhere to be found as he was not among the passengers on board the British Airways Flight.
Prosecution said from that time, the two accused persons did not receive any information on the deceased.
However, in May 2010, friends and partners of the deceased in the US became worried about the well-being of the Rev Barnes (the deceased) because they had lost contact with him since he left the US.
The prosecution said through the efforts of the deceased's friend one Donne Pouguini, a Ghanaian who lived at Nkawkaw in the Eastern Region; they managed to get in touch with the deceased's church in Koforidua, where he met the accused.
She said the accused informed Pouguini that they had also lost contact with the deceased.
In June 2010, Pouguini managed to get the two accused to accompany him to Accra to lodge a complainant with the Police, who in turn commenced investigations with publications searching for Reverend Sidney Barnes (the deceased).
During the investigations, it was revealed that the deceased flew from USA to London with electronic ticket number 1257465295192. The deceased also arrived in London and checked in at Comfort Hotel at Heathrow.
The deceased, however, left on March 18, 2010, using the same ticket to board British Airways Flight to Ghana.
Enquiries at the Ghana Immigration Service indicated that the deceased checked out at about 10:03 pm.
Based on that, the prosecution said Seidu was therefore picked up by the Police on September 26, 2010, where he denied ever picking the deceased from the airport.
On October 4, 2010, Seidu confessed that the deceased had been killed, adding, he was persuaded by Rev. Padmore to kill the deceased in order to take away all the money the deceased was bringing from the USA.
Seidu, the prosecution said, mentioned that he found 3,000 dollars on the deceased which he gave to Rev Padmore, who gave him (Seidu) half of the amount.
On October 11, 2010, Seidu led a team of pathologists and Police investigators to Manna Missions Farms at Nsawam where he had buried the deceased and the body was exhumed and sent to the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital for an autopsy.
On October 13, 2010, autopsy conducted indicated that the deceased died of multiple stab injuries.
Prosecution called five witnesses to make their case during the trial which commenced on January 15, 2015.
Summing up, the Court noted that prosecution relied on circumstantial evidence and confession statement of Seidu.
According to the Court during the trial, it was made known through a prosecution witness that the driver apologized to Rev. Padmore for involving him in the crime.
Seidu, the Court said also took the deceased’s laptop to a witness to repair and whiles the said witness was going to see him (Seidu) off he realized that the windscreen of the deceased’s vehicle was broken.
When the witness quizzed Seidu, the Court said Seidu informed the witness that Rev. Barnes was on admission following an accident.
According to the court, during the trial, it came to light that Seidu the driver took Rev. Barnes’ blood stain vehicle and offered same for sale for a fee of GH 3,500 cedis to a mechanic who also testified in the matter.
It noted that a Pathologist report established the cause of death of Rev. Barnes to multiple stab injuries.
The Court noted that the prosecution in proving their case ought to establish that Rev. Barnes was dead, his death was caused by harm, the harm was intentional, and that the harm was unlawful.
This, the court noted, was proved by the prosecution beyond reasonable doubt.