US couple plead guilty to kidnap

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It was a drama worth seeing at the Accra Mall Wednesday as patrons of the shopping centre watched in awe, the ruthless manner with which the manager of the facility, Johan Venter, locked up four shops in the mall. The scene threw the mall into a state of disarray, forcing patrons who could not stand the sight of the incensed manager’s conduct to abandon the premises to avoid any potential attack

28 April 2011 Last updated at 15:31 ET

A California couple have pleaded guilty to charges of kidnapping and raping a girl when she was 11, and holding her captive for 18 years.

Phillip Garrido, who had two children with his victim Jaycee Dugard, and his wife Nancy earlier pleaded not guilty.

Mr Garrido could be sentenced to 430 years in prison while Mrs Garrido faces 36 years in prison.

Ms Dugard was kidnapped from near her home in South Lake Tahoe in 1991 as she walked to a school bus stop.

She was kept with her two daughters, now 13 and 16, in the backyard of the Garrido home in Antioch, California, in a compound of tents and sheds.

As part of the deal the Garridos made with prosecutors, both waived their right to appeal.

They are scheduled to be sentenced on 2 June.

Mr Garrido pleaded guilty to 14 charges of kidnapping and sexual assault.

Mrs Garrido pleaded guilty to one charge of kidnapping and one charge of rape.

Their change in pleas means Ms Dugard and her children do not have to testify at a trial.

District Attorney Vern Pierson paid tribute to Ms Dugard.

“Jaycee’s courage and willingness to confront her abductors in court directly led to the defendants’ plea and life sentences,” he said.

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US couple plead guilty to kidnap