A 60-year-old man, Doe Fiano, has been sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment by an Accra High Court for fatally shooting his wife in the presence of their four-year-old child.

Fiano pleaded guilty to manslaughter and was also handed an additional 10-year sentence for possessing a firearm without lawful authority.

The sentences are to run concurrently, as ruled by Justice Mrs Kizita Naa Koowa Quarshie.

The tragic incident occurred following an argument sparked by a phone call the victim, Grace Yorke Torku, received from a male acquaintance. In a fit of rage, Fiano entered their bedroom, retrieved a pistol, and shot her dead.

Initially charged with murder, Fiano opted to plead guilty to manslaughter under Section 296(1) of Act 30, which secured him a reduced sentence.

His defence counsel informed the court that the convict had no prior criminal record, had expressed remorse, and was the primary caregiver for the couple’s children.

However, the prosecution urged the court to impose a minimum sentence of 30 years, citing the severe emotional trauma inflicted on the four-year-old child who witnessed the killing. Prosecutors further described gunshot wounds to the victim’s head and genital area, underscoring the brutal nature of the crime.

In sentencing, the judge considered both aggravating and mitigating factors, including Fiano’s remorse, his status as a first-time offender, and his responsibilities towards the children.

According to the prosecution, the Assemblyman for the Okomante Electoral Area, Gordon Tsimese, had alerted the police after Fiano was reportedly seen wielding a weapon and threatening passers-by at Taaboo Line.

Police arrived to find the victim lying in a pool of blood. The murder weapon was later recovered, along with an empty magazine during a follow-up search.

Fiano was arrested through police intelligence at Nii Amui Park in Ashaiman.

A pathologist at Tema General Hospital confirmed on June 6, 2023, that the cause of death was unnatural gunshot wounds to the head.