Two armed robbers jailed 25 years for stealing mobile phone

Two persons who robbed a trader at the Arts Centre in Accra have been sentenced to a total of 25 years in prison.

An Accra Circuit Court on Thursday sentenced the two, Billy Kwasi, 18years and Yaw Joseph, 25 years for robbery and causing unlawful harm to a trader.

Billy Kwasi and Yaw Joseph are said to be squatters at the Arts Centre in Accra.

On March 3, 2019, they bumped into the complainant, Hannah Brown at the Arts Centre with arms and robbed her, the court heard.

The two pleaded guilty to the charges of conspiracy to rob and robbery when they were arraigned and the court, presided over by Mr. Aboagye Tandoh sentenced them accordingly.

Billy got 15 years for the conspiracy to rob and robbery whilst Yaw got 10 years for conspiracy to rob and robbery.

Yaw however got an additional three years for the charge of causing unlawful harm, which is to run concurrently with the earlier sentence.

Facts

Presenting the facts of the case, the police prosecutor, Chief Inspector Samuel Ahiabor said on March 3, 2019 at about 3:30am, Billy Kwasi and Yaw Joseph bumped into the complainant on her way to Agbogbloshie in  Accra to buy fruit.

The complainant was suddenly confronted by the two with a knife and a pair of scissors as she stood at the Law Court Complex Bus stop in Ministries area, awaiting for a vehicle, the prosecution said.

He said as the lady resisted their confrontation, Yaw hit her hand together with her Infinix Hot 5 mobile phone onto the ground, picked the phone and took to their heels.

Complainant screamed for help and some people came to assist her, which led to the arrest of the two, the prosecutor said.

Her Infinix mobile phone was recovered right at the scene in a damaged state, the prosecution said.

 He said the two in their caution statement told the police that they threw away the knife and the scissors as they were about to be arrested.