Unemployed jailed 40 years for robbery

A 23 year-old unemployed, Julius Baiden has been sentenced to 40 years imprisonment in hard labour by the Tarkwa circuit court for robbing three people at Tamso estate in the Tarkwa Nsueam Municipality.

The convict and his accomplice, who is on the run, took away GHC5,500, one gateway laptop, Black berry mobile phone, back up drive, three pen drives, HP laptop, assorted jewels, a Ghanaian passport, a Barclays bank and Fedelity bank ATM cards.

He was convicted on his own plea.

Prosecuting, Detective Chief Inspector Oscar Amponsah told the court presided over by Mr. Samuel Obeng Diawuo that, the complainant Charles Duah is a maintenance engineer and lives with his wife Yvette Amoakowa Duah and younger brother Simon Addae at Tamso estate, a suburb of Tarkwa, whilst the convict, who just completed a 3 year jail term for committing the same offense reside at Brenakyim.

He said on November 19, last year, around 02:30 hours, the complainant and his family, who were then asleep, heard an unusual noise in his house.

According to the Prosecutor, when the complainant opened his bedroom door to find out what caused the noise, he saw Baiden and his accomplice, who pointed a gun at him and instructed him to surrender all his money.

Inspector Amponsah said the complainant who had no option, gave the robbers GHC5,500 in order to save his life and that of hisfamily.

The Prosecutor said the robbers, who were not satisfied with the money ordered the complainant to lie on the ground, as they ransack his room and took away the said items.

Inspector Amponsah said because the robbers were not masked they saw their faces as they bolted away after the operation.

He said the complainant reported the matter to the police and they mounted surveillance and started their underground investigation.

The Prosecutor said the complainant later identified Baiden to the police as one of the robbers who attacked him and his family and was subsequently arrested for investigation.

Inspector Amponsah said when a search was conducted on the convict one toy pistol, two kitchen knives and an HP laptop battery belonging to the complainants younger brother were retrieved in a room the convict led the police to.

He said after thorough investigation Baiden was charged with the offense of robbery before the court.

Source: GNA