Kumasi, Aug 10, GNA - A Kumasi circuit court has sentenced a 21-year-old ice water seller to a fine of one million cedis for stealing a mobile phone and 800,000 cedis from her sex partner. Esther Kasena pleaded guilty to the charge and will go to prison for 12 months in default.

Mr Adutwum Mmorosa, who presided, said he took into consideration the fact that she was a first offender and also pleas made by two friends of the court on her behalf. They said Esther was not paid any money by her sex partner after satisfying himself and that some men had developed the tendency of picking girls from the streets and have sex with them, thereby spreading HIV/AIDS.

They pleaded with the court to deal leniently with her and rather warn the complainant to desist from picking girls from the street. Police Chief Inspector Evelyn Addo told the court that one evening in July Mr Bright Agyapong, who deals in second-hand clothes, took Esther to his house at Dichemso where they spent the night. The complainant woke up in the middle of the night to find out that the accused was not in the room and that his Nokia mobile phone valued at 1.2 million cedis and 800,000 cedis were gone.

Chief Inspector Addo said the complainant suspected Esther and arrested her two days later at Atonsu-Agogo, a suburb of Kumasi, holding his hand.

Mr Agyapong handed her over to the Asawase police where she confessed that she took the phone and money but she had spent the money.