Labourer jailed 26 years for robbery

An Accra Circuit Court on Monday sentenced one Michael Mensah to 26 years imprisonment in hard labour for robbing and murdering one Ren Guang Fa, a Chinese national.

Michael was said to have conspired with Ekow Korsah, and robbed the victim of his Huawei P8 mobile phone and its charger, a desktop computer, dresses and an amount of GH¢1,140.00, at Sakumono in Accra.

He pleaded not guilty, but the court presided over by Mr Aboagye Tandoh after trial found him guilty of the offence and convicted him accordingly.

In sentencing, the court said it took into consideration the nine months he had already spent in custody, and his plea for mitigation.

The court also noted with concern the nefarious activities of robbers in recent times, which mostly leads to the death of victims, saying his sentence would be a deterrent to others.

He sentenced him to 26 imprisonment for robbery and 19 years for conspiracy both sentences to run concurrently.

His accomplice, Ekow had earlier pleaded guilty to the charges and was sentenced to 22 years imprisonment. They were both charged with murder as well.

Police Chief Inspector Kwabena Adu, prosecuting told the court that, the complainant, one Emmanuel Owusu was a driver to the deceased Ren Guang Fa.

He said the convict and Ekow both worked with the deceased in the same company.

He said on April 13, 2017 at 0830 hours, the complainant went to the house of the deceased to pick him up to work on his usual duties but detected as he got there that the deceased door was opened.

He said the complainant called the deceased but he did not respond and so he went straight to his bedroom and detected that the room has been ransacked and upon entering deceased bathroom he saw him lying in a pool of blood.

The Prosecution said the complainant immediately reported to the Police, the police went to the scene and upon investigations the Police discovered that the Michael and Ekow were the people who last went to the house of the deceased around the time of the crime.

On April 16, 2017, Ekow was arrested by the Police at his hideout at Lashibi, a search conducted on him led to the retrieval of a mobile phone and a charger, which was identified by the brother of the deceased as belonging to the deceased.

Mr Adu said during his caution statement, Ekow admitted to the offence and told the Police that he and Michael went to the house of the deceased to rob, and that it was Michael who cut the left wrist of the deceased with a kitchen knife which injury resulted in his death.

He told the court that Ekow said they took some monies, which they shared among themselves, Michael had GH?520.00 while he, Ekow had GH?620.00, Desktop computers and personnel belongings.

He said on April 24, 2017, Michael was arrested at Teshie where he led Police to his hometown at Ekumfi-Arkrah in the Central Region to retrieve some dresses and the desktop computer belonging to the deceased.

In his caution statement, Michael admitted having murdered the deceased with Ekow.