A Kumasi High Court was virtually turned into a funeral ground last Friday when a 53-year-old farmer completely broke down, weeping like a baby moments after he had been sentenced to death by hanging for killing his wife over a GH¢2 debt. The convict, Kwasi Bonsu, was found guilty by a seven-member jury after the judge, Mr. Justice George Kingsley Koomson, had explained the facts and directed the jury to consider the merits and demerits of the case before pronouncing the verdict. Kwasi Bonsu, who has five children with his wife, Ama Serwaa, shot her with a single barreled gun in their matrimonial home in 2005 over misunderstandings on a GH¢2 debt that the convict owed his wife. Bonsu, a native of Bomen, near Oyoko in the Ashanti Region, pleaded with the judge to temper justice with mercy and give him a soft sentence after the jury had found him guilty of murder. He wept uncontrollably moments after the judge, acting on the verdict of the jury, had sentenced him to death by hanging. Some of the litigants who were in the courtroom for the adjudication of their cases joined Bonsu in weeping, turning the place into a funeral ground. Earlier, a Senior State Attorney, Mr. Richmond Osei-Hwere, had told the court that both the convict and his deceased wife lived in the same house at Bomen where Bonsu’s in-law, Madam Afia Nkrumah, also resided. According to the State Attorney, on May 14, 2005, a misunderstanding ensued between Bonsu and his wife over a GH¢2 debt that he owed his wife. Explaining further, Mr. Osei-Hwere said the debt was in relation to some seedlings that Bonsu had bought from his wife, but had not paid for after sometime, compelling her to remind him to pay to bring sanity to the house. He said it was when the woman reminded the convict to pay the GH¢2 debt that the misunderstanding ensued, causing Madam Nkrumah to intervene to calm tempers. Mr. Osei-Hwere said after calming the couple down, Madam Nkrumah succeeded in encouraging Bonsu to go outside for some time; an advice he initially heeded, but about 30 minutes later he returned to the house armed with a single-barreled gun and threatened to kill his wife. The State Attorney said Serwaa, afraid of Bonsu’s intention, shouted for help, but before any help could come her way the convict had shot her legs causing Madam Nkrumah, who was still at home to go to the aid of her daughter. He said not perturbed by the presence of his in-law, the convict reloaded the gun, aimed it at Madam Nkrumah and Serwaa and fired at them. However, the bullets missed the in-law by inches and rather hit Serwaa in the chest, killing her instantly. He said Bonsu then fled into the bush, but he was arrested the following day and handed over to the police. Mr. Osei-Hwere said during investigations, the convict confessed to the crime, but later changed the statement, saying, the gun had fallen down from his hands. Source: Daily Graphic/Ghana