Two jailed 40 years for car snatching

Two persons who tied the neck of a taxi driver with a rope and threw him out of his car during a robbery spree were on Wednesday jailed 40 years by an Accra Circuit Court.

Ibrahim Issah, a cement block moulder, and Frank Anthony, a phone repairer were sentenced to 20 years imprisonment each on the charge of robbery.

The two were also convicted to 15 years imprisonment each on the charge of conspiracy to rob.

Their sentences are to run concurrently.

Convicting them, the trial judge, Mr Justice Francis Obiri, noted that the convicts and three of their accomplices, now at large, nearly killed Mr Precious Gator, the complainant, and owner of the Toyota Corolla, which was snatched at knife point by the convicts.

The trial judge said the convicts admitted the offence during investigation; adding, by their admission he found them guilty of the offence.

According to the court, although they were first offenders, the convicts by their actions nearly killed the complainant hence he would give them a deterrent sentence.

“If you want to take the car why not take it and leave the complainant alone?” he queried. “I don’t know why these robbery activities would not stop”.

Chief Inspector Edward Afful, who held brief said robbery was rampant and pointed out that the convicts had wasted the Court’s time.

He said the convict should be given deterrent sentences.

Mr Nii Bi Ayibontey, who represented the convicts, however, prayed for mitigation saying they had regretted their actions.

According to their counsel, the convicts were lured into the act by peer pressure so the court should have mercy on them.

“My Lord, as a matter of fact, no relations have showed up since the convicts were arraigned,” the defense Counsel explained.

The fact, as presented earlier by the Chief Superintendent of Police, Mr Duuti Tuaruka, was that the complainant Mr Gator resided at East Legon, while the convict lived at Adjiringanor.

During the night of December 11, 2013 at about 2000 hours, Issah, Anthony and three others, now at large, met at Adjiringanor and decided to snatch a car and sell it.

According to the prosecutor, Anthony and two others, consequently, went to Madina to look for a car to snatch, while Issah and the others laid ambush on a bridge at Adjiringanor.

The prosecution said at about 2300 hours, Anthony reached the agreed area and as planned, Issah pulled a knife on the complainant, tied him with a rope and pushed him (complainant) out of the car.

The convicts then drove the car to Agbogboloshie in Accra to find a prospective buyer, he said.

While looking for a buyer, the Police at Fadama had information about them and managed to arrest Issah and Anthony.