Pastor, 47, commits suicide after wife threatened divorce

A 47-year-old head pastor of Christ Mission Church at Jedu in the Mfantseman Municipality in the Central Region has committed suicide by hanging.

The incident happened at Etii Sonkwa in the Ajumako Enyan Essiam District in the region after his wedded wife seized his assets and threatened to divorce him.

Information gathered revealed that the pastor by name, Rev. Francis Hammond travelled to Etii Sonkwa, his hometown on Wednesday to get his father informed that his marriage has hit the rocks and the situation could lead to his death if not attended to.

His elder brother, who is also a man of God was about to be consulted to offer advice to Francis (now late) but he was stopped by the deceased from reaching out.

Francis then decided to take a rest at his father’s place in one of the rooms only to be discovered hanging on the ceiling hours later.

“My son (deceased) came to my room and asked for prayers to end the marriage suffering he is going through. After praying for him, he rendered despairing words which I comforted him and decided to call his elder brother to console him, but he (the deceased) stopped me from doing so,” the deceased father, Mr Peter Hammond said while tears flow from his eyes.

Mr Hammond told a journalist that later in the day when his elder son arrived at his invitation to guide his brother, the door and window to his room was locked.

They later broke the door only to find out that Francis (deceased) has hanged himself. The deceased father who is a Chief at Etsi Sonkwa concluded that the wife of his late son is the cause of the misfortune adding that since the demise of his son, the widow has visited the family once, which is rudeness to the family and evidence of what the late Francis went through.

The incident was reported to the Mankessim Jeju Police to witness before his body was taken to the Abura Dunkwa Mortuary for preservation.

The late Francis left behind five children, three females and two males.

Mother of the deceased, Mrs Victoria Hammond who was at Accra during the incident after knowing the traumatic cause of his son’s death has vowed to deny his son’s wife from observing the final funeral rites with the family.