Two jailed 15 years each for robbery

Two persons who were arrested for robbing four ladies of their handbags on the same day have been jailed 15 years each by an Accra Circuit Court.

A motor rider, Abubakari Sadiq Mumuni, 21, and Albert Laryea, 19, were on Thursday sentenced to 15 years each in hard labour after they had admitted to the various offences.

They pleaded guilty to the charges with an explanation, but after their explanation, the court found them guilty of the charges.

The court presided over by Mr. Aboagye Tandor said the explanation by both accused persons did not support their defence of the charges and as such has entered a plea of guilty simplicita for them.

He said ‘their explanation is more of prayer to the court for mitigation rather than an explanation’.

The court went ahead to convict them on their own plea. In sentencing, he said the court has taken into consideration their plea for mitigation and the number of days they had spent in custody as well as their modus operandi.

He said the two deserve to be given a harsher sentence to serve as a deterrent to other young people who have taken to robbing innocent people of their hard earned monies and properties.

Prosecuting Deputy Superintendent of Police told the court that the complainants are police officers stationed at the National Headquarters Patrol Units at the Police Headquarters, Accra while Mumuni is a motor bike rider and Laryea is unemployed.

He said on April 25, at about 0630 hours the convicts on an unregistered Honda Motor bike met their first victim Victoria at the New Town commercial bank area and snatched her bag and sped off.

They continued their operation to Pig Farm where they met Gladys who had alighted from a car and snatched her bag as well.

The prosecution said the convict’s later moved to the Cuban Embassy at Airport residential area, where they met Evelyn and attempted to snatch her bag.

She initially held on to the bag but the robbers dragged her along on the ground until she left the bag for them.

He told the court that the convicts who were not satisfied with their booty went to AFGO at Airport area and tried to snatch another bag from one Grace and Mary but luck eluded them when one of the victims struggled with Mumuni while the other started shouting for help.

DSP Abadamlora said in the course of the struggle, a taxi driver who was passing by saw the scene and decided to help. The two sensing danger jumped on to their motor bike and sped off.

He said the taxi driver, however, chased them, knocked the bike down with his car. A Police patrol team came to the scene and arrested the convicts.

He told the court that when a search was conducted on them, an amount of ¢875.00 was fond in Mumuni’s pant and the four ladies bag containing assorted mobile phones and other items worth ¢4,750.00 were also found in the shirt of Laryea.

He said the victims who heard the news later identified the convicts and their various bags. They both admitted the offences in their caution statement.