The trial of two medical doctors, a husband and wife, before Justice Adedayo Akintoye of a Lagos High Court sitting at Igbosere over alleged attempted murder of a 17-year-old patient, was stalled due to the absence of their new counsel, Bolaji Ayorinde, SAN.
The defendants, Ejike and Grace Orji are standing trial on a four-count charge bordering on attempted murder, causing grievous harm and negligent act causing harm, preferred against them by the Lagos state government.
However, the couple pleaded not guilty to the charge.
On the last adjourned date, Mr Olasupo Shasore SAN, had appeared for the couple, but when the matter came up for the commencement of trial, the case could not go on as the defendants new lawyer, Mr Bolaji Ayorinde, was not in court.
A counsel from his Chambers, Gold Mgbeahuru, told the court that they had just been briefed and that they will need time to prepare for the trial as her principal was not in court.
In his response, the prosecuting counselor, Mr Adebayo Haroun, said that at the last adjourned date, Mr Shasore SAN, appeared in the matter, adding that If he had known that they weren’t prepared, he wouldn’t have brought the witness to court.
Meanwhile, the defendants, told the court that his counsel was Mr Shasore, but that a few days ago, his Chambers wrote to him that they were withdrawing from the case for personal reasons.
During their arraignment, the State Prosecutor, Mr Babatunde Sunmonu, had told the court that the defendants committed the offence on July 26, last year, at Excel Medical Centre in Dolphin Estate, Ikoyi, Lagos.
The prosecutor said that the defendants attempted to murder a 17-year-old boy, one Somtochukwu Ezi-Ashi, by unlawfully causing grievous bodily harm to his left leg.
According to the prosecutor, the duo caused grievous harm on the 17-year-old boy, by fixing a Plaster of Paris (POP) cast too tight on his leg without his consent nor that of his parents.
The prosecutor also said that the two doctors who were not orthopaedic specialists, recklessly administered orthopaedic medical treatment to the minor, from his upper thigh to his toes and deliberately refused to remove the said POP when requested to do so.
He said that the defendants deliberately removed the POP in a manner that put the life of the boy at risk.
Sunmon added that the defendants unlawfully inflicted wound to the left leg of the complainant “when they lacerated his toes with a saw blade and concealed the act.
