A Cape Coast High Court presided over by Justice Mohammed Mustapha Ahmed on Monday sentenced Gabriel Kwamina Ababio, a 21-year-old guest house attendant at Mampong, to five years’ imprisonment with hard labour for chopping off the hand of Daniel Kwabena Dickson, a 21-year-old final year student of Twifo Praso Senior High School in the Central Region. Gabriel was also to compensate the victim with GH¢1000. The Court also fined the second accused person, Madam Esi Kesewa, the guest house owner, GH¢2000. However, the family members of the victim were not pleased with the court ruling, calling for a harsher punishment for the convicts. They argued that though the victim did not die, the act amounted to murder. Dickson’s family had indicated its willingness to appeal for severe punishment. Presenting the facts, a State Attorney at the Attorney General’s Department, Mrs. Hannah Taylor, stated that on January 31, 2007 at about 3pm, Dickson saw his lost puppy in Gabriel’s house at Mampong, and indicated that he would come for the animal later. Mrs. Taylor said two days later at about 8pm, Dickson went to his mother’s house to eat and after watching television, decided to return to his own place of abode. On his way to his house, Dickson passed by Gabriel’s house and saw the puppy roaming about on the compound. He then decided to take his puppy home but the barking of the puppy attracted the attention of Gabriel’s mother who came and grabbed Dickson together with the puppy, shouting as Gabriel came out with a machete and chopped off the left arm of Dickson. Dickson struggled to free himself from the grips of Gabriel and his mother, resulting in other severe cutlass wounds on his head and legs. Mother and son, after their murderous act, dumped the victim in an uncompleted building. The prosecutor said Dickson, who could not contain the pain, shouted for help, attracting some people to the scene. She said Madam Kesewa went inside the guest house and brought a polythene bag to collect the blood oozing from the wound and took it to the house. The State Attorney further stated that Dickson became unconscious and was rushed to the Twifo Praso Hospital where he was admitted and treated. Family Appeals To Attorney General The family of Kwabena Dickson is appealing to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Joe Ghartey and the Chief Justice Georgina Theodora Wood, to use their good offices to ensure that justice does not elude their kin, Rocklyn Antonio reports. Speaking to DAILY GUIDE on behalf of the family, Silas Danso, uncle of the victim, said he could not fathom why the presiding Judge, Alhaji Mustapha, could reverse his earlier verdict when he was sentencing the accused persons yesterday, freeing the second accused person, Esi Kesiwaa, when he had earlier on July 31, 2008 pronounced her guilty. The Judge, according to Silas, on July 31, 2008 ruled that both accused persons were guilty and ordered that they should be remanded to reappear on August 4, 2008 for their sentences. He said they were utterly dismayed therefore to hear the same Judge giving a different verdict on the matter. The family is therefore appealing to the AG and the CJ to further look into the matter. They also called on the Inspector General of Police, Patrick Kwarteng Acheampong, to order further investigations into the matter.