A 20 year-old small scale miner, Kwame Kyei, was on Thursday sentenced to five years imprisonment in hard labour by the Tarkwa Circuit Court for stealing a hand bag containing 1,500.00 Ghana cedis and unlawfully causing harm to one Bright Akoto.

He pleaded guilty.

Prosecuting, Police Chief Inspector Oscar Amponsah told the court, presided by Mr. Justice Obeng Asante that the complainant, John Andoh, is a cocoa purchasing clerk at Wasa Saa while the accused is an errand boy who has no fixed place of abode.

He said at about 0130 hours on March 10 this year, the complainant closed his provision store at Saa village and was going home with the sum of 1,500.00 Ghana cedis concealed in a hand bag.

Chief Inspector Amponsah said on reaching a section of the road in the darkness, the accused who was ambushing the complainant, unexpectedly attacked the complainant and run away with the hand bag valued at 50 Ghana cedis and with the money in it.

He said the complainant raised the alarm and one Akoto who was in the area got hold of the accused person and bit his lower lip resulting in a deep wound.

Chief Inspector Amponsah said the accused was overpowered and taken to the police station together with the exhibit.

A police medical from was issued to Akoto to attend hospital for treatment, Mr Amponsah added.