Man Jailed 10 Years For Burning Couple’s Room, GH¢15,000 Cash

A Bekwai Circuit Court in the Ashanti Region has sentenced Bismark Adu to 10 years’ imprisonment for causing unlawful damage after a fire destroyed personal belongings valued at GH¢300,000 and GH¢15,000 in cash belonging to a couple at Manso Akropong in the Amansie West District.

The convict was found guilty after appearing before the court, presided over by His Honour Isaac Apietu, where he pleaded guilty with an explanation to the charge.

The incident occurred on August 30, 2026, following a disagreement between the accused and the complainant, Owusu Evans, a commercial motor rider.

The prosecution, led by Detective Inspector Eric Okyere, told the court that Evans lived with his wife, Mercy Owusu, in a rented single room in a family house at Akropong.

The accused, who was unemployed, also stayed in Antoakrom.

According to the prosecution, the complainant had lived in the room for about five months without any problems.

On the day of the incident, at about 8:30 a.m., the complainant’s wife and other residents of the house left for church, while Evans later went out to buy some items.

Upon his return a few minutes later, he allegedly met the accused using a machete to cut the wooden door of his room into pieces.

When the complainant confronted him over the destruction, the accused reportedly became furious and claimed that he had previously lived in the room and wanted to retrieve an item from it.

The prosecution said the accused allegedly forced his way into the room but failed to find the item he claimed he had come to collect.

An argument subsequently broke out between the two, during which the complainant overpowered the accused and drove him out of the house.

Evans later left to look for a carpenter to repair the damaged door.

Room Engulfed In Flames 

The court heard that when the complainant returned about 20 minutes later, he found his room engulfed in flames.

He reportedly rushed to the window in an attempt to extinguish the fire and salvage some of his belongings, only to discover that the window had also been cut with a machete.

The fire destroyed the couple’s personal belongings valued at GH¢300,000, as well as GH¢15,000 in cash, bringing their total reported losses to GH¢315,000.

A bottle containing traces of petrol was reportedly found in the room after the fire had been extinguished.

The complainant, with the assistance of some commercial motor riders, pursued and arrested the accused while he was returning to Antoakrom before handing him over to the police.

The Ghana National Fire Service was subsequently called to assess the incident, but its findings were still pending at the time of the police report.

The accused was arrested without a warrant on August 30, 2026, and subsequently charged with causing unlawful damage, contrary to Section 172(1)(b) of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29).

He was arraigned before the Bekwai Circuit Court, where he pleaded guilty with an explanation.

The court, presided over by His Honour Isaac Apietu, found him guilty and sentenced him to 10 years’ imprisonment.

Detective Inspector Eric Okyere prosecuted the case.