A 40-year-old auto mechanic has been sentenced to 25 years imprisonment in hard labour for defiling and impregnating his biological daughter by a Tarkwa circuit court.

Although the convict, Joseph Abaidoo, denied the charges since prosecution began in 2015, the court presided over by Emmanuel Bart-Plange Brew at the end of the trial found him guilty and convicted him accordingly.

Prosecuting, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Juliana Essel-Dadzie, said the victim is an 18-year-old unemployed girl who stays at Ankobra near Esiama with her mother who has divorced the convict.

She said from 2012 to 2013 the victim together with the convict and her stepmother lived in the same house in Prestea.

The Prosecution said the convict’s wife travels frequently due to the nature of her work as a trader.

DSP Essel-Dadzie said Abaidoo took advantage of her frequent absence and started having sexual intercourse with the victim in his bedroom and some times in his vehicle at night.

She said when the victim after some months, realised she was pregnant she decided to relocate to her mother without the knowledge of the convict.

The Prosecution said Abaidoo, however, lodged a complaint of abduction against a teacher in the victim’s school but he was not arrested by the police for questioning.

She said he then proceeded to Ankobra to scout for the victim, where he, fortunately, met her.

DSP Essel-Dadzie said while in Ankobra, the victim informed the convict about her pregnancy in the presence of other relatives, but he could not utter a word.

The Prosecution said when Abaidoo returned to Prestea he sent an amount of ¢450.00 to his ex-wife by mobile money transaction and pleaded with her to terminate the pregnancy.

DSP Essel-Dadzie said although the victim’s mother received the said amount, she did not give it to the victim to terminate the pregnancy which was then four months old.

She said on April 11, 2013, the victim gave birth prematurely to a baby girl and Abaidoo sent ¢500.00 through her maternal uncle for their upkeep.

She said in 2014, the maternal uncles of the victim invited the convict on countless occasions to enable them to perform some rituals as what had transpired between him and his daughter was an abomination but all proved futile.

DSP Essel-Dadzie said on February 2015 the maternal uncles of the victim reported the matter to the police and Abaidoo was arrested.