CAT MEAT LANDS DRIVER IN TROUBLE (MIRROR, LEAD STORY)

From Samuel Duodu, Sunyani.

THE desire for ‘Cat meat’ has landed a taxi driver at Fiapre in the Sunyani West District in the grips of the law.
Yaw Kusi had offered to buy the cat from Madam Yaa Pokua, a trader but she refused to sell it. And so when Madam Pokua could not find her pet three days later, she suspected Kusi.
Madam Pokuaa confronted Kusi on the whereabouts of her pet and he admitted having killed the animal to prepare a meal, resulting in verbal exchanges and Kusi beating her to unconsciousness.
He was arrested and arraigned before the Sunyani Magistrate’s Court ‘B’, presided over by Mr Albert Zoogah, for causing harm and sentenced to a fine of Gh¢120.00 or in default serve six months’ imprisonment in hard labour.
He pleaded guilty to the charge of causing harm and apologised to the Madam Pokuaa.
Presenting the facts of the case, the prosecutor, Chief Inspector Grace Cofie, said Kusi had a friend resident in the same house as the complainant.
The prosecutor said Kusi saw the cat while visiting his friend and offered to buy it but Madam Pokuaa declined to sell her pet.
Chief Inspector Cofie said three days later the complainant could not find her cat, so she suspected the convict and when she approached him he admitted that he had killed the cat and used its meat to prepare some food.
The prosecutor told the court that upon hearing this, the complainant became annoyed with Kusi which led to ‘hot’ exchanges of words, but the complainant left the convict for her shop.
She said Kusi followed up to the complainant’s shop and assaulted her mercilessly, which made her unconscious. She was rushed by a good Samaritan to the Regional Hospital, where she was admitted.
Chief Inspector Cofie said the case was reported to the police and Kusi was arrested and after investigations charged with the offence.
Mr Zoogah, in passing judgement, said he took into consideration the fact that the convict had apologised in the open court to Madam Pokuaa.