Sekondi, July 13, GNA - A Sekondi District Magistrate's Court on Thursday sentenced Kwame Amissah, an auto mechanic, to 48 months' imprisonment in hard labour for unlawful entry and stealing. The convict, who is also known as Jude Harley, pleaded guilty. Prosecuting, Police Chief Inspector Joe Hedidor said Amissah and the complainant, Charles Cudjoe, were next-door neighbours at Apollo, near Takoradi.

He said on June six this year, when the complainant returned home from work, he detected that his room had been broken into and a compact disc player, a pair of black trousers, quantity of provisions and a million cedis cash stolen.

Chief Inspector Hedidor said on June 16, the complainant also detected the theft of some items belonging to his landlady who was in Italy. The items included eight half pieces of Dutch wax print, a Panasonic 14 inches colour television set, a woollen carpet and car spare parts, he added.

Chief Inspector Hedidor said the complainant strongly suspected the convict and went to his house together with a witness in the case. He said the door of the accused was left open and when the complainant and the witness entered the room, they found the Panasonic Television set, the pair of black trousers, a driving mirror and a pinch bar.

Chief Inspector Hedidor said they collected the items to Kwesimintsim Police Station and reported the matter to the Police. He said during investigation, the Police learnt the accused was at Elmina selling the rest of the items and a message was sent to the Elmina Police to arrest him but he was not found.

Chief Inspector Hedidor said on July 1, the accused was arrested in his room upon a tip-off and handed over to the Police. He said in his caution statement to the Police, the accused said he sold some of the stolen items at Komenda Junction and was remanded in prison custody when he appeared before the court to enable the Police retrieve the other items.

He said the Police later retrieved spare parts including exhaust pipe, diesel tank, car shaft, car door and car boot from the room of the accused.