A landlord who threatened his tenant with death was on Wednesday sentenced to four years imprisonment in hard labour by an Accra Circuit Court.
Harry Agyekum, a businessman, who was additionally charged for entering a premises for unlawful purposes, would serve a 12-month jail term.
Sentences are to run concurrently.
Passing judgement, the court presided over by Mrs Adwoa Coleman noted that although a first offender, Agyekum did not show any remorse during the trial, and that the sentence handed down was to serve as deterrent to other landlords who harass their tenants.
Superintendent A. Boye told the court that Ms Joyce Arko Thompson, a caterer, is the complainant and a tenant in Agyekum's house.
Superintendent Boye said for some time now, lights in the house had been disconnected because of the debt it owed the Electricity Company of Ghana.
On March 28, 2008, the complainant approached Agyekum to contribute some money in order to get power connected to the house.
Agyekum got offended and rained insults such as "foolish girl," "Prostitute, you dare not approach me on this issue again" on the complainant.
On April 30, 2008, at about 2:00pm, an electrician was engaged by one of the tenants to do electrical wiring in the house.
Agyekum, who drove to the house on seeing the complainant talking to the electrician, got enraged and threatened to beat and break the complainant's neck.
Prosecution said witnesses intervened and sent complainant to her room and locked her up in order to prevent Agyekum from attacking her.
Agyekum, prosecution said, swore to kill the complainant. In his rage, Agyekum hit his right palm on the glass window from which he sustained a cut and bled profusely.
Prosecution said Agyekum smeared the blood from his cut on the complainant's door.
Not satisfied with his actions, Agyekum picked a kitchen stool and smashed the complainant window. He damaged property worth GHC140.00 as a result.
The complainant, therefore, called her father on phone who in turn brought in a policeman to rescue her.