‘Killer’ houseboy accepts responsibility, begs for leniency   

A house help who allegedly murdered his employer at Sokoban-Apaaso in the Ashanti Region has accepted responsibility for the crime.

Allister John, 22, and his accomplice, James Anokye, made his maiden court appearance for the murder of 35-year-old Stella Osei aka Princess Afua Ahenkan.

Despite the plea of the accused persons not being taken, the key suspect broke bounds and raised his hand to signal he had something to say.

‘I accept responsibility and plead with the court to be lenient with me,’ he said in Twi before the Asokore Mampong District Court.presided by Samuel Buabin Quansah.

He pleaded with the court to free the second accused person, James Anokye, whom he said did not take part in the crime.

According to Allister, he lied to Anokye to help him cart some family belongings to Accra.

Despite being reminded by the court that his plea was not being taken, the accused insisted and pleaded for leniency in open court.

Alister and an accomplice, Anokye have been slapped with conspiracy to commit murder and murder contrary to sections 23(1) and 46 of the Criminal Offences Act (Act 29) of 1960

It comes as police hunt for three other accomplices, following the arrest of the two from their hideout in Accra.

Police prosecution prayed the court to remand the accused persons into police custody to allow for further investigations.

It also prayed the court to order the release of the KIA Sportage car to the husband of the deceased, and also impound a Toyota Vitz vehicle the first accused bought from the sale of the KIA vehicle.

Prosecutor, ASP Stephen Ofori, says though the prosecution takes cognisance of the remarks by the accused person, the prosecution will go all out to investigate and bring all those involved to stand full trial.

The case has been adjourned to October 3, 2023.

Facts of the case

Court documents shows that the accused, John Allister, got hired a day after applying for the position of a house help from an Accra-based employment agency, and allegedly committed the murder six days after resuming work.

He applied for work on September 4, 2023, and started work the following day, assigned to the woman he allegedly murdered in Kumasi.

On September 11, 2023 at about 11am, moments after the deceased had prepared fufu which she enjoyed with the accused, she was stabbed in the stomach, hit several times on the head and face with a club.

The accused is said to have taken advantage of the absence of the 11-year old daughter of the deceased who had gone to school.

According to police, Alister, after committing the act, invited James Anokye and one Collins to the home of the deceased  and bolted with a KIA Sportage vehicle with registration GS 307-21,  Samsung mobile phone,  rice, cooking oil and other valuable items.

They then escaped to Accra, made contact with Biggy, a fourth accomplice, who is at large, to sell the vehicle to Christian Obu, the fifth accomplice who is also at large.

Allister, after the sale of the KIA Sportage car, used some of the proceeds to buy a Toyota Vitz car, with registration number GS 3107-23.

Whilst the Collins, Biggy and Christian Obu accomplices were being pursued, the Anokye abandoned the KIA Sportage vehicle at Oyibi Police Station and bolted.

Following a report to the police, the Crime Scene Management team discovered the body of the late Stella Osei, also known as Princess Afua Ahenkan in the garage of her Apaaso home.

A blood-stained club believed to have been used by the accused to murder the woman was also discovered at the crime scene on Tuesday September 12, ²⁰²³.

A police intelligence-led operation led to the arrest of the Allister and Anokye  in their hideouts in Accra on September 14, 2023.

The two were then escorted to face trial in Kumasi.