Kumasi, Dec. 8, GNA - A 21-year-old unemployed man who escaped from lawful custody when he was being sent to court for defiling a 12-year-old girl at Akomadan in the Offinso District, has been sentenced to 18 years imprisonment in hard labour by a circuit court in Kumasi. Issah Mohammed was convicted on his own plea of guilty to the two charges.

Police Chief Inspector Agnes Dinkyini told the court presided over by Mr K. Essel Mensah that the victim, a pupil of Grace of God International School at Akomadan, was sent to her uncle's house in the later part of last month.

She said when the girl did not meet her uncle, Mohammed who was alone in the house of the girl's uncle, lured her into his room and defiled her several times until about 12.30 am when he released her to go home.

Chief Inspector Dinkyini said, however, that the next day the girl's parents detected that she had been defiled and consequently lodged a complaint at the Akomadan police station. Mohammed was arrested and charged him with the offence after investigations.

She said when the accused was being sent to the circuit court at Offinso on Tuesday, he managed to remove the handcuffs on his wrists and ran into a nearby bush at Asamankama.

Chief Inspector Dinkyini said he was arrested with the assistance of some farmers about five hours after his escape.