A father convicted of killing his seven-month-old daughter in a drink-drive crash has vanished before starting a 15-year prison sentence.
Emmanuel Sakyi, 31, was found guilty in his absence at Aylesbury Crown Court on Monday after a unanimous jury took just over two and a half hours to reach its verdict. He had failed to appear for his trial last week.
“Emmanuel Sakyi, 31, is on the run after being convicted of killing his seven-month-old daughter in a drink-drive crash.”
The crash happened on Bletcham Way in Milton Keynes in December 2022. Sakyi drove his grey Peugeot 508 for “a considerable distance on the wrong side of the road” before colliding with a green Fiat 500, the court heard. He was twice the legal alcohol limit and “demonstrably far below” the standard of any reasonable motorist.
His daughter Emmanuela was sitting on her mother’s lap in the passenger seat, with a seatbelt across her stomach. Prosecutor Daren Samat told jurors it was “wholly inappropriate and dangerous” that she was not secured in a car seat or appropriate restraint. The oncoming driver, Shannon Willison, had flashed her lights and beeped her horn to attract Sakyi’s attention, but he carried on straight. “Instead, he carried on straight and despite the other driver’s best effort to avoid a collision, he drove into that Fiat 500,” Mr Samat said.
After the crash, Sakyi fled the scene. The prosecutor said he “wasn’t going to stick around for the police” and may not have known at that stage how serious his daughter’s injuries were. Emmanuela suffered serious injuries and later died in hospital.
Sakyi was later arrested outside his home address but then failed to appear for his trial. Thames Valley Police are now appealing for help to find him. He is described as a black man with a medium build, black hair, brown eyes and around 5ft 3in tall.
Detective Sergeant Ed Crofts, the lead investigating officer, said: “Enquiries have been ongoing to locate Emmanuel Sakyi, and we are now appealing for the public’s help in locating him. This is a devastating case where a child’s life has been lost. Our enquiries are focused on ensuring Sakyi faces the consequences of his actions.”
Police have urged members of the public not to approach Sakyi if they see him, but to call them immediately.