The High Court in Accra has sentenced Richard Appiah, a footballer and draughtsman, to life imprisonment for the murder of two children in Abesim in the Bono Region.

The sentence followed a unanimous guilty verdict by a seven-member jury on two counts of murder. The victims, aged 12 and 15, were killed in 2021 in a case that sent shockwaves through Abesim and surrounding communities.

Appiah, who was 28 years old at the time of the crime, has been standing trial since 2022. The proceedings were presided over by Justice Ruby Aryeetey at the Accra High Court.

Throughout the trial, the case drew intense public scrutiny due to the brutal nature of the killings and the circumstances under which the bodies of the children were discovered.

Residents of the Bono Region closely followed developments, with many calling for justice for the victims.

In delivering the sentence, the court upheld the jury’s verdict, bringing a decisive conclusion to one of the most disturbing criminal cases in recent years.