A Koforidua Circuit Court presided over by His Honour Ebenezer Osei Darko has sentenced a 28 year old man to 15 years in prison with hard labour. GhanaWeb reports that the convict was charged with robbery and causing unlawful harm following an incident that occurred in the Eastern Regional capital. The prosecution established that the man targeted a shopkeeper during a botched robbery attempt that resulted in physical injuries to the victim.
According to the GhanaWeb report the convict entered the shop under the guise of being a customer before attacking the shopkeeper with a sharp object. Witnesses at the scene informed local media that the shopkeepers cries for help attracted nearby residents who intervened to prevent the suspect from escaping. The Eastern Regional Police Command confirmed that the suspect was taken into custody immediately following the citizen arrest and the weapon used in the assault was retrieved as evidence.
During the court proceedings the prosecution presented medical reports detailing the extent of the injuries sustained by the shopkeeper. The Ghana News Agency and GhanaWeb indicate that the presiding judge emphasized the need for a deterrent sentence to curb the rising incidents of daylight robberies within the Koforidua municipality. The court found that the evidence provided by the police and the testimony from the victim were sufficient to prove the guilt of the accused beyond a reasonable doubt.
The convict who pleaded for leniency during the sentencing phase will serve his full term in a correctional facility within the Eastern Region. Court records show that the 15 year sentence is intended to reflect the gravity of the violence used during the commission of the crime. While the identity of the convict was cited in regional reports the Ghana Police Service has cautioned the public against taking the law into their own hands during similar incidents in the future.