An Accra High Court has sentenced a mother of two, Lydia Aboagye, to life imprisonment after she was found guilty of murdering her husband, Kweku Gyasi, following a misunderstanding in 2021.
The conviction came after a full trial in which a seven-member jury returned a 5-2 majority verdict of guilty.
Under Section 46 of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29), as amended by the Criminal and Other Offences (Amendment) Act, 2023 (Act 1101), a 5-2 majority verdict is sufficient to secure a conviction.
The prosecution, led by Senior State Attorney Christabel Selma Anafure, called three witnesses to support its case.
Aboagye, represented by Rita Kunkuti Ali, testified in her own defence and called her mother as her only witness.
On July 30, the day before the legal vacation, Justice Marie-Louise Simmons summed up the evidence and directed the jury before they retired to consider their verdict.
After 39 minutes of deliberation, the jury returned to the courtroom with a 5-2 majority verdict, finding Aboagye guilty of murder.
Before sentencing, the court invited the convict to make a statement. She replied: “I have nothing to say.”
Justice Simmons then formally convicted her under the relevant provisions of the law before imposing the mandatory sentence.
“With the jury having returned a majority verdict of 5-2 of guilty, the accused is hereby convicted under Section 46 of Act 29, as amended by the Criminal and Other Offences (Amendment) Act, 2023 (Act 1101),” the judge said.
She then sentenced Aboagye to life imprisonment.
The court also informed the convict and her lawyer that they have one month from July 30, 2026, to file an appeal at the Court of Appeal.
