Wa, Sept 9, GNA - A Wa Circuit Court has sentenced five unemployed youth of Jirapa to eighteen months each in prison in hard labour for stealing five fowls worth 200,000 cedis.

The convicts, who were arraigned before the court at Wa on two counts of conspiracy to steal and stealing, all pleaded guilty to the charges and were consequently convicted on their own plea by presiding Judge Alhaji Mohammed Mustapha.

The are Kellie Basie Richard, 21, Dabuo Anbara, 22, Dosie Kyelelu, 18, Bayiri Benjamin, 19 and Clement Bayor, alias Dada, 19. Presenting the facts of the case to the court, Chief Inspector Paul Ansu-Frimpong of the Jirapa Police Station said the complainant, Madam Cecilia Sakyiwaa, is a house wife resident at Jirapa SSNIT Flats while the convicts also live at Jirapa town.

Chief Inspect Ansu-Frimpong told the court that, the convicts who are believed to be members of livestock stealing gang operating in the Jirapa township and its environs, on September 3, 2004 went to SSNIT Flats and used catapult to kill five poultry fowls worth 200,000 cedis. Chief Inspector Ansu-Frimpong told the court that while the convicts were busily dressing the stolen fowls in their hideouts, the police rounded them up upon a tip-off.

He added that all the five persons admitted the offence during interrogation.