Crime & Punishment of Friday, 17 July 2020

Source: GNA

Mobile phone robber jailed 15 years

Prison with an inmate Prison with an inmate

An Accra Circuit court on Thursday sentenced Nii Quaye Tawiah, a 20-year-old who robbed a lady of her mobile phone to 15 years imprisonment in hard labour.

Nii Tawiah pleaded not guilty to the offence but was found culpable after trial.

Prosecuting, Police Chief Inspector William K. Boateng told the Court presided over by Mrs Afia Owusua Appiah that Nii Tawiah was unemployed, whilst Madam Dorcas Berko, the complainant worked with a sachet water factory and both of them live at Dome in Accra.

He said on April 23, 2018, at about 0500 hours, Dorcas was going to work and noticed she was being followed by the convict.

Prosecution said the complainant became afraid and doubled her steps but the convict also increase his pace and caught up with her, and at knife point demanded that she surrender her cellular phone and hand bag.

Prosecution said Dorcas handed over her phone leaving the hand bag and started running towards a nearby house where a woman was sweeping.

Chief Inspector Boateng said the convict followed her and got hold of the hand bag and in the process Dorcas fell, but the convict kicked her several times until she let go the hand bag containing GHC50.00, the phone charger and a dress.

He said the woman who was sweeping nearby saw the act raised an alarm, which attracted people to the scene, the convict sensing danger took to his heels with the booty.

He said the people around pursued and arrested him and retrieved all the stolen items as well as the knife used in the act.

The prosecution said the convict was then handed over to the police together with the exhibits and a formal complaint lodged.

He admitted the offence in his cautioned statement and after investigations, he was arraigned.