Two student robbers jailed total of 70 years

Two second cycle students who waylaid a lady returning from a Hogbetsotso Festival activity and robbed her of her mobile phone with threats to kill her had been jailed a total of 70 years by an Aflao Circuit Court.

Jeff Hope Dotse, 20, and Emmanuel Nartey, 19, both third year business students of Keta Business Senior High School pleaded guilty to conspiracy and robbery.

The court presided over by Mr Francis Obiri gave them five years each for conspiracy and 30 years each for robbery to  run concurrently.

Mr Valentine Adabrah, a Police Inspector at Keta, told the court that around midnight on November 6 Martha Senadzu, a seamstress apprentice, was on her way to her Tegbi residence near Keta after attending an activity in connection with the festival.

He said on reaching a spot, the convicts pursued and caught up with her at Tegbi-Hekpa Junction where they ordered her to surrender all valuables on her or be killed.

Mr Debrah said when the complainant screamed Dotse gave her a hefty slap and feigned pulling out a gun from his pocket.

He said the complainant handed over her Samsung mobile phone and the two bolted.

Mr Debrah said three days later the complainant spotted the two while on her way to Keta and confronted them but they denied any wrong doing but a policeman on duty in the area arrested them.

He said a search in Dotse’s room revealed the Samsung phone belonging to the complainant.

Mr Obiri, in passing judgment, said robbery was becoming a menace and must be tackled with deterrent sentences.

He said it appeared some unruly youth wanted to take advantage of festive occasions to steal and rob.

Source: GNA