The High Court of Justice in Accra has sentenced a 34-year-old mother of two to life imprisonment following her conviction for the murder of her husband, Kweku Gyasi, who died after being stabbed with a broken bottle during a domestic altercation in 2021.
The convict, Lydia Aboagye, was found guilty by a seven-member jury which returned a majority verdict of 5–2, the minimum threshold required under Section 46 of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29), as amended by the Criminal and Other Offences (Amendment) Act, 2023 (Act 1101).
Her Lordship Justice Marie-Louise Simmons, who presided over the trial, delivered the sentence on July 30, 2026, following the jury’s deliberation, which lasted 39 minutes.
According to the prosecution, the incident occurred on November 3, 2021, at approximately 4:30 a.m., at Omanjor-Dwenewoho, near California School, within the Greater Accra Region.
The complainant, a driver’s mate and owner of the residential property, had leased a single room to the couple, who resided there with their two children.
On the said date, a misunderstanding arose between the accused and the deceased. During the altercation, Lydia Aboagye allegedly seized a broken Coca-Cola bottle and stabbed her husband in the left side of his ribcage.
The prosecution further submitted that, upon realising the severity of the injury inflicted, the accused left the room, locked the deceased inside, and proceeded approximately 150 metres to a nearby bush, where she disposed of the weapon.
At about 5:30 a.m., the landlord, having completed his early morning Fajr prayers, was alerted by his daughter, who reported hearing unusual noises emanating from the couple’s room while she was sweeping the compound.
The landlord forced open the locked door and discovered the victim lying in a pool of blood. With the assistance of neighbours and fellow tenants, he transported the victim to the Ga West Municipal Hospital (Amasaman Government Hospital), where he was pronounced dead upon arrival.
The body was subsequently deposited at the Police Hospital mortuary for preservation and autopsy.
The accused later returned to the room and was observed attempting to clean the bloodstains from the floor with a cloth. She was apprehended by neighbours and handed over to the police for investigation.
The prosecution, led by Senior State Attorney Christabel Selma Anafure, called three witnesses to establish its case against the accused.
The defence, led by counsel Rita Kunkuti Ali, called the accused, who testified on her own behalf, and her mother, who appeared as a sole witness for the defence.
Justice Marie-Louise Simmons summed up the case to the jury on July 30, 2026, one day before the commencement of the legal vacation.
Following 39 minutes of deliberation, the jury’s forelady announced a majority verdict of 5–2 guilty.
When allowed to address the court before sentencing, the convict responded as follows:
“I have nothing to say.”
Delivering the sentence, Her Ladyship Justice Simmons stated:
“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 court thereafter sentenced Lydia Aboagye to life imprisonment. The convict was further informed of her right to appeal the conviction before the Court of Appeal within one month from July 30, 2026.
The case has been closely followed as a significant example of domestic violence resulting in fatal consequences. The conviction and sentencing underscore the judicial system’s commitment to holding perpetrators of violent crimes accountable.
