Driver Charged with Murdering Girlfriend’s Daughter Over Phone

Franklin Mensah, a 29-year-old driver, has been brought before the Ashaiman District Court on charges of allegedly murdering his girlfriend’s three-and-a-half-year-old daughter.

During the arraignment, Mensah did not enter a plea. The court, presided over by His Worship Derrick Parden Eshun, remanded him for a period of two weeks pending further legal proceedings.

According to Chief Inspector Afi Blihia, the prosecuting officer, the complainant, Ms. Joy James, a waitress, cohabitated with the accused in Switzerland, a suburb of Ashaiman.

On May 3, 2024, at approximately 4:30 p.m., the complainant left for work, leaving her daughter in Mensah’s care at home.

Later that evening, around 11:00 p.m., the complainant received a distressing call from her neighbor. The neighbor reported that after she departed, the daughter began crying, prompting Mensah to offer his phone to the child as a distraction.

However, the child inadvertently dropped and damaged the phone.

Incensed by the damage to his phone, Mensah allegedly struck the young girl with his hand, causing her to lose consciousness.

The victim was rushed to Tema General Hospital for emergency medical attention but was declared clinically deceased upon arrival.

Mensah was subsequently apprehended and presented before the court. The case remains under investigation.

The tragic incident underscores the importance of addressing child welfare and the need for legal recourse in cases of violence against minors.