Man gets 20 years for shooting, killing wife
By DL News
Published
1 min read
The shooting occurred after an argument between the couple, reportedly triggered by a phone call the victim, Grace Yorke Torku, received from a male acquaintance.
A 60-year-old man, Doe Fiano, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison by an Accra High Court after fatally shooting his wife during a domestic dispute—an act witnessed by their four-year-old child.
Fiano pleaded guilty to manslaughter and received an additional 10-year sentence for unlawful possession of a firearm. The two sentences will run concurrently, meaning he will serve a total of 20 years, as ruled by Justice Mrs. Kizita Naa Koowa Quarshie.
The shooting occurred after an argument between the couple, reportedly triggered by a phone call the victim, Grace Yorke Torku, received from a male acquaintance. Enraged, Fiano retrieved a pistol from their bedroom and shot her, leaving her dead on the spot.
Originally facing a murder charge, Fiano negotiated a lesser conviction by pleading guilty to manslaughter under Section 296(1) of the Criminal Procedure Code (Act 30).
His defense lawyer urged the court for leniency, highlighting Fiano’s clean criminal record, his expression of remorse, and his role as the primary caregiver of their children.
The prosecution, however, pushed for a minimum of 30 years, stressing the severe psychological impact on the young child who witnessed the killing. The victim had suffered multiple gunshot wounds, including to the head and genital area.
Justice Quarshie, in delivering her sentence, considered both aggravating and mitigating factors, including Fiano’s lack of prior convictions and the tragic presence of the child during the crime.
The incident, which occurred in the Taaboo Line area, was reported to police by a local assemblyman, Gordon Tsimese, after Fiano was seen wielding a firearm and threatening members of the community.
When police arrived, they found the victim in a pool of blood, and later retrieved the murder weapon and an empty magazine. Fiano was later apprehended at Nii Amui Park in Ashaiman, thanks to police intelligence.
A forensic report from Tema General Hospital confirmed that the cause of death was due to gunshot wounds to the head, classified as unnatural.
