Crime & Punishment of Saturday, 23 March 2024

Source: GNA

Bathroom attendant sentenced 15 years for robbery

File photo File photo

An Accra Circuit Court has sentenced a 29-year-old bathroom attendant to 15 years imprisonment in hard labour for robbery.

Issahaku Ibrahim pleaded not guilty to possession of a firearm without authority, causing unlawful harm to Arafat Sanah, and robbing him but he was found culpable after trial.

The C=court, presided over by Evelyn Asamoah discharged Ibrahim of the possession of a firearm without license and sentenced him to two years on the cause of harm charge and 15 years on the robbery offence but ordered that the sentences be concurrent.

Police Chief Inspector Clement Takyi had earlier told the Court that Sanah, the complainant, and others, on May 22, 2023, at about 2030 hours, were selling their phones in front of Yam Market in Accra when the convict, Ibrahim, and nine others armed with locally manufactured pistols, attacked the complainant and inflicted multiple cuts.

They also aimed the locally manufactured pistols at him to surrender the ten (10) assorted phones he was selling, which value is not yet known.

He said the complainant, for fear of his life, handed over the phones to Ibrahim.

Ibrahim, however, ran out of luck as, in his attempt to leave the scene, he was arrested. The complainant quickly raised the alarm and with the help of people around, caused his arrest and his weapon retrieved.

Chief Inspector Takyi said Ibrahim was handed over to the police and a medical report was issued to Sanah, the complainant, to attend hospital and report for further actions.

During investigation, Ibrahim could not produce any document, covering the locally manufactured pistol, claiming that he had it while he was loading scrap metals and decided to use it for his personal protection, the Court heard.

Prosecution said after investigations, Ibrahim was charged with the offence and put before court.