Kumasi, Feb 13, GNA - A Kumasi Circuit Court has sentenced a driver to 51 years imprisonment in hard labour for snatching a taxi with a knife.

Bismark Dwomoh alias “Yaw Baah” pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy and robbery.

His accomplices Maxwell Yeboah, received a 10-year jail term while the other accused person, Isaac Dwamena, denied the offence and was ordered to be held on remand in prison.

He is scheduled to re-appear on February 24 together with Frank Gyasi, alias “Killer” who is charged with dishonestly receiving the stolen car.

Assistant State Attorney, Miss Marie-Louise Simmons, told the court presided over by Justice Emmanuel Amo-Yartey that the crime was committed last year on July 27.

She said Yeboah had presented himself as a student of the Sunyani Polytechnic and engaged the services of the taxi cab driver, Kwaku Nsowaa Hopretey, to carry him from Sunyani to Kumasi under the pretext of going to collect money from the parents.

She said the driver asked a friend to accompany them on the trip and whiles in Kumasi Yeboah took the driver to Bantama and Pankrono and set off on the return journey around 1830 hours.

She said Yeboah tricked the driver to use a short route through Atimatim to avoid the normally huge traffic on the Tafo-Suame Roundabout road whiles his two accomplices, Dwomoh and Dwamena, were all this time waiting at the Maase community.

Miss Simmons said when the car got there the accused told the driver that they had missed their way and should ask for direction from the two, who as planned were standing by the road side.

She said after showing them the way, Yeboah pleaded with the two to join them in the car for further direction.

She said as soon as they got on board, Yeboah put off the engine and removed the ignition key and signaled his colleagues to beat up the driver and his friend and pushed them out of the car and sped off.

She said a report was made to the police and investigations led to the arrest of the car snatchers who admitted the crime in their caution statement.