Shop attendant, 19, gets 15 years for robbing student of iPhone 11

A 19-year-old shop attendant, Emmanuel Asare, has been sentenced to 15 years imprisonment with hard labor for his involvement in the robbery of an iPhone 11 valued at GH¢ 3,200.00 from a student.

Emmanuel was charged with conspiracy to commit robbery and robbery under the Criminal Offences and Other Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29), MyJoyOnline reports.

His guilty

Read full articleplea during court proceedings on April 19, 2024, led to his conviction by His Honour Festus Fovi Nukunu, the Judge at the Old Tafo Circuit Court in the Ashanti region.

According to the prosecution, on March 21, 2024, Emmanuel and his accomplice, Oman Goddey, conspired to commit a robbery and robbed Karen Ofori of her iPhone 11 mobile phone.

The incident occurred during heavy rain around 9:30 pm at Bremang cemetery junction, where Karen and a witness, Derrick Frimpong, sought shelter in front of a container shop.

The accused persons, also taking shelter in the shop, attacked Karen and Derrick, causing them to flee.

Despite Derrick's escape, Karen was caught and stabbed in the left leg by the attackers, who then stole her iPhone 11. Karen and Derrick later identified Emmanuel and sought help from nearby people to apprehend him.

Emmanuel was arrested from his residence in Bremang West on April 11, 2024, and confessed to the crimes during police investigations, implicating Derrick as his accomplice, who was not found at his residence when the police went to apprehend him.

During the sentencing, Emmanuel pleaded for leniency citing his sick mother and his employment with a lady he cared for. Chief Inspector Timothy Amoako, the prosecutor, noted that Emmanuel had no prior criminal record and urged the court to consider this in its decision.

The court, taking into account Emmanuel's early guilty plea and the spared expense of a trial, sentenced him to 15 years imprisonment with hard labor on each count, to run concurrently.