A Tema Circuit Court has sentenced Eric Gyimah, a mobile phone seller to 15 years imprisonment in hard labour for robbing a taxi driver of his taxicab.

Gyimah, who had pleaded not guilty to two counts of robbery and dishonestly receiving, was handed the sentence after a full trial.

Before his sentence, Gyimah had pleaded for leniency from the court, but the prosecution objected to the plea, stating that the convict did not show any remorse during the trial.

The prosecution added that the sentence must serve as a deterrent to others with the same intentions.

The court, presided over by Agnes Opoku Banie, also ordered Gyimah to refund GH¢3,000.00 to Daniel Darius Annang, the complainant he robbed with the help of two others now at large.

Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) George Doe, prosecuting, told the court that the complainant, who is a driver and resides in Haatso, a suburb of Accra, was in charge of an ash and yellow Toyota Vitz taxicab with registration number GC 2668-22 on May 13, 2023, at about 13.30 hours around the Accra Mall.

The prosecution said Gyimah and his accomplices, who were standing by the roadside, signalled the cab to stop, which he obliged. They then informed the complainant of their intention to hire his service from the Accra Mall to a building site in the Central University area of Dawhenya.

The prosecution said after agreeing on the charge, the convict sat on the front seat near the complainant in the taxicab, while his accomplices sat in the back seat, and upon reaching an isolated place near the Central University campus, Gyimah asked him to stop for him to alight, which he obliged.

The prosecution said the moment he stopped the car, the two men seated behind him used a rope to pull his neck, while the convict dipped his hand into the pocket of his trousers and removed GH¢3,000 from it.

The court was informed that Gyimah then got out of the taxicab, walked to the driver’s side, opened the door, and ordered the complainant to either come out of the taxi or be killed.

According to the prosecution, his accomplices then released the rope from his neck, and he came out of the taxi and handed the ignition key to Gyimah upon his command.

The prosecution said the convict then sat behind the steering wheel of the taxicab and drove off with the vehicle, which contained the complainant’s Samsung phone valued at GH¢2,000.00, driver’s license, and a Ghana Card.

The prosecution said the victim subsequently made a complaint at the Dawhenya Police Station, and through police investigations, the Adidome Police arrested Gyimah who was then driving the taxicab.

The prosecution said Gyimah said in his caution statement that someone by the name of Michael gave the taxicab to him to sell on his behalf.

The prosecution said the complainant was invited to identify the taxicab at the police station with all the necessary documents; however, he discovered that the colour of the car had been changed from taxi to private, and the number plate had also changed from GC2668-22 to GC8017-22.

He said the chassis number on the document produced by the complainant corresponded with that of the vehicle the convict was caught driving.

ASP Doe said the complainant also identified the accused to the police as the leader of his attackers.