- 60-year-old Doe Fianu sentenced to 20 years in hard labour for manslaughter
- Incident stemmed from a jealous argument over a phone call from a male caller
- Victim, Grace Yorker Torku, was shot in the head and vagina
A 60-year-old man, Doe Fianu, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison with hard labour after pleading guilty to manslaughter in the fatal shooting of his wife, Grace Yorker Torku.
In 2023, following an argument sparked by a “male caller” who contacted his wife, Fianu shot Grace in the head and vaginal area, resulting in her death.
Fianu admitted to manslaughter instead of murder by invoking provisions under Act 30, which carry a lighter sentence than life imprisonment. He also pleaded guilty to unlawfully possessing a firearm.
Justice Kizita Naa Koowa Quarshie of the Accra High Court found him guilty on both counts and, before passing sentence, considered several mitigating factors—Fianu’s guilty plea (which saved court time), his status as a first-time offender, and his display of remorse.
Despite these factors, the severity of the crime, including the trauma inflicted on the couple’s four-year-old son—who witnessed the shooting—was heavily weighed. Prosecutor Winifred Sarpong had recommended a 30-year minimum sentence, while the defence, led by Bernard Obiri Koranteng, appealed for leniency.
Justice Quarshie, balancing mitigation and aggravating circumstances, handed down 20 years for the manslaughter and an additional 10 years for the firearms offence. Both sentences will be served concurrently at Nsawam Prison, effectively meaning he will spend 20 years behind bars.
