Carpenter imprisoned for stealing alcohol among others

A District Magistrate Court in Enchi has sentenced a carpenter to 24 months imprisonment in hard labour for unlawful entry into a drinking bar and stealing cash, cell phone and alcoholic beverages totaling 1,140.00 Ghana cedis.

Matthew Mensah, 23, alias Shatta pleaded guilty to causing unlawful damage, unlawful entry and stealing respectively.

The court presided over by Mr Eric Baah Boateng however cautioned and discharged Mensah on count one but convicted him on the other two counts.

Police Detective Inspector Joseph Kwadwo Agyare, prosecuting, told the court that the convict lives at Jensue, a suburb of Enchi with the complainant Cecilia Tweneboah who operates a drinking bar in the vicinity.

He said about two weeks ago the complainant went to her drinking spot to begin the day’s work but realized that thieves had broken into the shop and made away with a cash amount of 600 Ghana cedis, a Techno spark 3 pro cell phone worth 300.00 Ghana cedis, half box of Kpoo keke and Chalie liquor and half crate of star beer and Guinness drinks worth 240.00 Ghana cedis.

Mr Agyare said on February 6, at about 0700 hours whiles one Alale Alhassan, a witness in the case was on his way to Jensue Township to buy food, he met Mensah who informed him that he was offering his mobile for sale.

He said the witness requested for the mobile phone and when the convict handed it over to Alhassan he asked with him not to allow anyone to see the phone.

The prosecution said Alhassan then became suspicious, but detected that the battery had run down and so convinced the convict that he wanted to charge the mobile phone and inspect it to ensure it was not faulty.

He said after charging the mobile phone the witness saw the complainant’s picture and scouted for her and demanded to know if her mobile phone was missing.

According to the prosecution, the complainant narrated her ordeal to the witness and on February 8, at about 1200 pm, the two went to Mensah’s house and questioned him as to how he got the mobile phone.

He said Mensah then confessed that he stole the complainant’s items so the matter was reported to the police which led to his arrest.