Ex-convict, Stanley Tamakloe, 20, who served two earlier jail terms totalling 22 months for stealing, boasted to the police on his way to court that he would plead guilty again to two similar offences he committed again, and get sentenced to another short prison term.

In one instance, he was sentenced to stealing for 18 months and in another he was jailed for four months.

However, when he appeared before the Ho Magistrate Court 2, last Wednesday for stealing two cellular phones from two houses in Ho on the same day and pleaded guilty again, things took an unexpected turn for Tamakloe.

He broke down in tears when he was sentenced to four years imprisonment in hard labour on each count with the sentences to run concurrently, contrary to his expectation.

“These are the last offences I have committed, I will never commit any form of crime in my life again,” he said as he fought back tears.

Chief Inspector Rosemina Bani told the court presided over by Mr Akosah Agyare-Amoanpong Yaw that the accused who was unemployed and resident at Ho-Bankoe had gained notoriety in the municipality for stealing in recent times.

The prosecution said that on July 16, this year, at about 1.30 am, the jailbird went to a house at Ho-Dome where he forcibly opened the window of one of the rooms and used a long stick with a ceiling patch attached to it to steal a Techno WX 4 Pro cellular phone valued from at GH? 500 from the room.

As if that was not enough, Tamakloe then entered another house at Ho-Hliha just about 30 minutes later and this time managed to enter one of the rooms and took away a Samsung Galaxy SS Active cellular phone valued at GH? 550.

The court heard that the police, acting upon intelligence, later arrested Tamakloe who admitted the stealing offences.

The prosecution said that the owners of the cellular phones who were the complainants in the case later identified the phones as theirs.

Passing sentence, the court said that it took into consideration the passionate plea for leniency by Tamakloe.

That, notwithstanding, the court said that it was took into account his persistent acts of stealing, showing no repentance after serving two earlier jail terms for such offences, and hence the enhanced sentence.