Small-Scale Miner Sentenced for Burning Stepfather’s House in Fiery Rage
Family feud over stolen rice escalates into arson, leaving a stepfather homeless and a miner behind bars
- A 24-year-old miner set his stepfather’s home ablaze
- The incident stemmed from a dispute over stolen rice meant for younger siblings.
- The Tarkwa Circuit Court sentenced the miner to two years in prison for unlawful damage.
The Tarkwa Circuit Court has sentenced Richard Arthur, a 24-year-old small-scale miner nicknamed Afianga, to two years in prison for setting his stepfather’s single-room mud house ablaze.
The fire caused damage estimated at GH¢70,000, comprising the house’s GH¢20,000 value and additional destroyed items worth GH¢50,000.
Arthur pleaded guilty to causing unlawful damage and sought leniency from the court presided over by Mrs. Hathia Ama Manu. Prosecutor Chief Superintendent Alex Odonkor detailed the events leading to the crime. The complainant, Kojo Donkor, a farmer and Arthur’s stepfather, had raised Arthur since marrying his mother when Arthur was four years old. However, as Arthur aged, his alleged drug use led to erratic and harmful behavior.
On September 5, 2024, a confrontation erupted after Donkor discovered Arthur stealing rice meant for his younger siblings to use at his mining site. Enraged by the confrontation, Arthur threatened his stepfather, chasing him into the bush. Two hours later, Donkor returned to find his home in flames, losing personal items like kente cloths, farming tools, and household essentials.
Arthur fled but was arrested weeks later in the Gangway community after a tip-off and handed over to the police. During investigations, he confessed and demonstrated how he committed the arson. The court deemed his actions severe, delivering the two-year sentence to serve as a deterrent.
