Taxi driver gets 17 years imprisonment for robbery
A driver, Bright Arma who robbed one Sandrich Mensah of her Galaxy S5 mobile phone worth GH¢1,000.00, one Nokia Lumia mobile phone worth GH¢80.00 and an amount of GH¢300.00 has been sentenced to 17 years imprisonment.
Bright who was put before an Accra Circuit Court pleaded guilty to the charge of robbery, and was convicted on his own plea.
The court presided over by Mr Aboagye Tandoh in sentencing said the court took into consideration the mitigating factor including the five days already spent in custody.
He said the court also considered the fact that the convict failed to respect the calm nature of the victim but subjected him to hardship and pain.
“The accused person is hereby sentenced to 17 years’ imprisonment in hard labour”.
Earlier the prosecuting officer Superintendent Bempah told the court that the complainant was an unemployed man who lives at Abossey-Okai Zongo, while Bright, a taxi driver, resides at Gbawe.
He said on January 28, at about 0100 hours, Charlie Swat 8’ patrol team while on patrols at Weija area spotted the complainant running and screaming for help.
The prosecutor told the court that the police patrol team rushed to the scene and rescued her from the convict.
He said investigation disclosed that the complainant charted the accused person’s taxi with registration No. GS 5927-13 Kia Rio to Tuba, and on reaching Ayigbe Town junction near the toll booth, Bright stopped and parked the car at the side of the road.
Superintendent Bempah said Bright pulled out a Fanta lemon plastic bottle containing powdered pepper mixed with water and sprayed it into the eyes of the complainant.
He said the convict then attacked the complainant and collected one Galaxy S5 and one Nokia Lumia mobile phones and cash of GH¢300.00.
He pulled her out of the car and continued to chase her away until police heard the complainant screaming and rushed to rescue her.
He told the court that during interrogation, the convict admitted the offence in his investigation caution statement and led police to the scene of crime.
Source: GNA