SHS student jailed four years for stealing

A 21-year old Senior High School (SHS) student was on Friday sentenced to four years imprisonment in hard labour by a Kumasi Circuit Court for stealing GH¢4,100.00.

Paul Kane pleaded guilty to the charges of conspiracy and stealing.

His girl-friend, Cynthia Mends, 17, and a nursing mother, who stood trial with him, was also convicted. She was however referred to the juvenile court for punishment.

Police Chief Inspector Comfort Baffour-Kyei, told the court presided over by Justice Emmanuel Amo-Yartey, that the complainant, Ms Hagar Gyamfi, is a trader and lives with Cynthia, her housemaid, at Kokoso in Kumasi.

Kane, a third-year-student of the Techiman SHS has been romantically engaged with Cynthia, a relationship that has produced a 40-day old baby boy.

On July 12, at about 0730hours, he paid a visit to the girlfriend and took advantage of the mistress absence to steal from her room a cash amount of GH¢4,100.00. They then fled leaving behind their little baby.

Ms Gyamfi detected the theft on her return and after a frantic search for Cynthia had proved futile, she made a formal report to the police Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU).

The prosecution said six days later, the two were spotted at Daban, a suburb of Kumasi and arrested.

An amount of GH¢1,370.00 was retrieved from them after their arrest.

They confessed to the crime in their caution statements and said they bought cellular phones and other items with the money.**