Court jails two for conspiring to commit crime

Two persons were on Wednesday sentenced to five years imprisonment each by an Accra Circuit court for conspiring to commit crime to wit causing unlawful damage.

The two Godwin Ayitey, Mechanic and Freedom Tudu, Welder were put before the Court for conspiring and causing unlawful harm to one Lucy Turkson and John Agbenyegah and pleaded not guilty to both charges.

The court found them guilty on the charge of conspiracy and not guilty on the charge of causing unlawful harm after full trial. They were however acquitted and discharge on the charge of causing unlawful harm.

According to the facts of the case, Lucy owns and operates a drinking spot at Kwabenya on the ACP road with inscription “Obaa Afia Tilapia base”, while John runs a carpentry shop adjacent to the drinking spot.

On February 20, Godwin drove a car which was under his care for repairs and picked Freedom at Kwabenya and they drove to the victims spot.

On reaching the shop, Freedom, alighted with a gallon containing some liquid believed to be petrol while Godwin waited in the car. He poured the suspected liquid around the drinking spot, set the place in flames and quickly run to board the waiting car and they fled.

The facts indicated that a witness in the case, a taxi driver who spotted the two trying to escape after the act gave them a hot chase,

It said on reaching a police check point the two refused to stop and run into a barricade, crushed a motor bike parked by the policeman on duty at the check point and landed in a ditch.

“Despite the accident the two convicts for the fear of being arrested escaped and left the car behind.”

The fire in the drinking spot spread to the carpentry shop and both places were burnt down.

Items destroyed in the spot include one plasma TV set, one generator, two deep freezers, one refrigerator, 40 plastic chairs, two big table, 13 small tables, three ice chests, quantities of assorted drinks, and empty bottles worth GH? 14,000.00 and an amount of GH? 3, 5000.00. It also destroyed 60 new doors in the carpentry shop worth GH? 20,000.00.