Details have emerged of how a House Help murdered his employer at Sokoban-Apaaso near Kumasi. The details, contained in court documents, revealed 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 resumed work the following day, assigned to the woman he allegedly murdered in Kumasi.
On September 11, 2023, at about 11 am, 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 his madam who had gone to school.
According to police, Alister, after committing the act, invited the 2nd and third accused persons, that is 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, and 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 his madam’s KIA Sportage car, used some of the proceeds to buy a Toyota Vitz car, with registration number GS 3107-23. Whilst the 3rd, 4th and 5th accomplices were being pursued, the 2nd accused 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 12th September 2023.
A police intelligence-led operation led to the arrest of the 1st and 2nd accused persons in their hideouts in Accra on September 14, 2023.
The two were then escorted to face trial in Kumasi.
Prosecution, led by ASP Stephen Ofori prayed the court to grant a request to release the KIA Sportage to the husband of the deceased, whilst a Toyota Vitz vehicle acquired with proceeds from the crime is also impounded by police.
‘I accept responsibility’- House Help tells court over murder of madam
Allister John, 22, who made his maiden court appearance with an accomplice, James Anokye, a 27-year-old driver, says he accepts responsibility in the murder of 35-year-old Stella Osei, also known as Princess Afua Ahenkan. Despite the plea of the accused persons not being taken, the key suspect broke bounds, raised his hand and signalled the court he had something to say.
He told the court he has accepted responsibility and pleaded with the court to be lenient with him before the Asokore Mampong District Court. He then went ahead to plead with the court to free the second accused person, James Anokye, whom he said did not take part in the crime.
But the prosecution, led by ASP Stephen Ofori says due process would be followed in trial. “This is a case of murder and the due process must be followed. Even though he has told the court that he admits whatever happened, the due process must be followed,” he told journalists. A father-in-law to the deceased, Yaw Yeboah, who witnessed proceedings in court says he was saddened to hear five persons were involved in the murder. According to him, the husband of the deceased who is based in the United Kingdom, has been crying all day over the callous murder of his wife.
By: Ohemeng Tawiah
