An Accra Circuit Court Monday sentenced two ex-convicts and another person to a total of 100 years’ imprisonment for robbing a family at their residence at Teshie near Accra.
They are Dominic Kofi Anim and Stanley Goka, alias Gameli, both ex-convicts, and Yaw Berko.
Anim and Goka were each sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment for conspiracy to rob and 40 years for robbery, while Berko was sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment for conspiracy to rob.
The sentences are to run concurrently.
They pleaded not guilty to the charges, but after a full trial of the case, the court, presided over by Mr Francis Obiri, found them guilty and sentenced them accordingly.
Passing sentence, the judge said the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt.
He said robbery was becoming rampant in the country, hence the need for the youth to be adequately educated on its dangers and consequences.
Facts of the case
Prosecuting, a Senior State Attorney, Rita Doko, said about 11.30 a.m. on April 3, 2011, the complainant, Mr Alex Ansong Danso, was relaxing in his sofa in his sitting room when he heard footsteps coming towards him.
He woke up only to see two young men armed with a long screw driver standing by him.
The armed men ordered him to surrender his money or risk losing his life.
Danso told them to follow him to his bedroom, which they did.
The prosecution said Danso’s son who was in his room and heard what was going came out. He tried to help but it turned into a fight.
In the course of the fight, Anim stabbed Danso in the left rib with the screw driver, while Goka also stabbed Danso’s son on different parts of the body, including his arm and the head.
Alarm raised
The complainant then raised an alarm and the robbers, sensing danger, attempted to bolt with their booty.
Goka jumped over the wall with jewellery belonging to the complainant’s wife, valued at GHc3,000.
Anim also attempted to jump over the wall but he was held back by the complainant’s son and eventually he was arrested with the help of people around.
Anim shouted, ‘Gameli,Gameli! Are you leaving me behind?’
Gameli, who was behind the wall, tried to help Anim to also jump over but the complainant used a stick to hit his leg, rendering him incapable of jumping.
Gameli then bolted with the jewellery in a waiting taxi which was driven by Berko.
The police followed up on a report that was made to them and picked Anim who, in his caution statement, admitted the offence and mentioned Goka and Berko as his accomplices.
At an identification parade at the Accra Regional Police, the complainant was able to identify Goka as the ‘Gameli’ who had stabbed him with a screw driver and made away with the jewellery belonging to his wife.
The convicts were then charged and put before court.