Woman, 25, convicted over acid attack that killed boyfriend

A tragic eight-year romance ended in a courtroom conviction on Monday, 2nd March 2026, as 25-year-old online trader Vera Asare pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of her boyfriend, Daniel Omane.

The Koforidua High Court, however, has deferred her sentencing until 11th March to allow for a mandatory pregnancy test, a move that has sparked outrage among the victim’s family.

The conviction follows a plea bargaining agreement reached between the Office of the Attorney General, the defence counsel, and the family of the deceased, which recommends a 10-year custodial sentence.

Daniel Omane, a popular mobile phone dealer known affectionately as ‘Anelka’, suffered a slow and agonising death following the assault on 29th November 2024.

Prosecutors revealed that the couple’s relationship had been plagued by “frequent misunderstandings and allegations of infidelity”, with Vera frequently threatening women she suspected of flirting with Omane.

The court heard that the violence peaked while Omane was asleep in his room. Asare allegedly poured a gallon of a substance, later confirmed by the Ghana Standards Authority to be acid, over his body.

The victim’s screams alerted his landlord, who rushed him to the Adweso Clinic. From there, he was moved to the Eastern Regional Hospital and finally to the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital for specialised treatment. Despite months of intensive medical care, Omane succumbed to his injuries on 15th July 2025.

The atmosphere in the courtroom was electric, filled with relatives and sympathisers wearing T-shirts emblazoned with Omane’s image and the inscription “Justice for Anelka”.

While the guilty plea brought a measure of closure, the decision to postpone sentencing for a pregnancy test was met with deep suspicion.

Family members, speaking outside the court, cautioned that they would not tolerate any attempt to subvert justice through medical manipulation. They warned that any effort to present a “fraudulent test result” in an attempt to reduce the 10-year recommendation would be “strongly resisted”.

The case has cast a shadow over Koforidua, highlighting the devastating impact of domestic passion turned into criminal violence. Vera, who was previously granted bail to care for the couple’s three-year-old daughter, now faces a decade behind bars pending the results of the medical examination.