Plastic of Paris: Hospital MD, wife face attempted murder, negligence charge

For allegedly attempting to kill a 17-year-old boy through negligence and causing grevious hurt, a hospital director and his wife have been re-arraigned at an Igbosere High Court in Lagos.

The duo of the Excel Medical Centre, Dolphin Estate, Ikoyi, Lagos, is facing a three-count charge of attempted murder, causing grievous harm and negligent act causing harm.

Although they pleaded innocence of the offences, the prosecution insisted that they committed the crimes by  attempting to murder 17-year-old Somtochukwu Ezi-Ashi.

The defendants had on July 26, 2018 at their hospital, allegedly fixed a Plaster of Paris (PoP) tightly on Ezi-Ashi’s leg resulting in grievous harm.

According to the prosecution, the couple, non-orthopaedic specialists, had recklessly administered orthopaedic treatment to the boy from toe to the upper thigh region.

“When asked to remove it, they refused,’’ Prosecutor Babatunde Sunmonu told the court, adding the defendants deliberately removed the POP in a manner that put Ezi-Ashi’s life at risk and inflicted a wound on the left leg.

“When they lacerated the boy’s toe with a saw, they unlawfully inflicted a wound on the left leg and concealed the wound.’’

The offences contravened Sections 230, 245, 251 and 252 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015 (Revised).

But counsel to the defendants, Mr Olasupo Sashore (SAN), urged the court to allow the couple to continue with the previous bail granted them.

In his ruling, Justice Adedayo Akintoye, granted the request of the defence counsel but that the defendants must appear in court for trial on Nov. 27.