Errand boy gets 20 yrs for robbery

A 19-year-old boy who raped a business woman and robbed her after sneaking into her bedroom at Sakaman, near Dansoman in Accra, has been sentenced to 20 years imprisonment by the Accra Circuit Court.

The convict, Sulemana Mohammed, an apprentice mechanic, also used an offensive weapon to inflict a deep cut on the victim.

 He pleaded guilty to the offence of causing harm, robbery and rape before the court presided over by Mr Francis Obiri.

In his verdict, the trial judge said the court took into consideration his age, the offence and a medical report that was issued on the victim.

He indicated that the report did not only confirm the sexual act but revealed that the offensive weapon used by the convict on the victim caused a deep cut of about three to four centimetres.

Earlier, the Prosecutor, Deputy Suprintendent of Police (DSP) Mr Patrick Morkeh, who expressed worry about the convict’s conduct, suggested for 40 years jail term, saying “he is the worse accuse person in this court, looking at his age, it is not a good thing for a teenager to have done that, by the time he comes out of the 40 years term,he would have been a changed person”.

This, however, generated an argument among some lawyers in the court room.

Whiles some lawyers advocated a life imprisonment to serve as a deterrent to others, the counsel for the convict prayed the court to spare his client a long custodial sentence since he was young and had shown remorse.

Mohammed, who looked remorseful as the trial judge read the hour long judgement, occasionally pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy. 

However, the trial judge shook his head and said, “the injury he caused the victim was so serious. I will give him the minimum of 20 years imprisonment”.

The court slapped him with 20 years jail term for robbery and five years for the offence of causing harm.

The sentences are to run concurrently.

DSP Morkeh told the court that the convict was the errand boy of the victim who worked on her compound and also did maintenance work on her vehicle.

He said on September 7, 2014, at about 9p.m, the convict hid himself in the victim’s bedroom and waited for an opportunity to strike her.

At midnight, he said the complainant was fast asleep when the convict attacked her on the bed, used an object to hit her on the head which resulted into a deep cut.

Mohammed threatened the victim  with  death if she refused to give him money.

The victim who felt helpless gave the convict GH¢100.00 but he still demanded  more.

When the money was not forthcoming, prosecution said the convict tighten the victim’s neck with a waist belt and in the process raped her.  

He  said the victim who was feeling weak , lied to the convict that she had enough money in her wardrobe and that he could go for it.

The convict , quickly went to the wardrobe to search for the money which paved way for the victim to escape.