A 19-year-old teen, Prince Bentum, who stole his co-worker’s GH¢5,000 and two mobile phones, has been sentenced to six months imprisonment by the Tarkwa District Magistrate Court One.

Bentum, who was charged with unlawful entry and theft, pleaded guilty to the charges.

Police Sergeant Adwoa Yeboah, prosecuting, told the court presided over by Mr Charles Owusu Nsiah that Degraft Hagan, the complainant, was a student who managed a mineral water company at Railway Quarters, a suburb of Tarkwa.

She said the complainant usually worked during vacations, while Bentum bagged sachet water at the same company.

The prosecutor said Bentum and the other staff resided in one big hall, while the complainant occupied a section of the hall partitioned with pieces of plywood and fitted with a door.

She said that on September 27, 2025, the complainant and some workers went out to supply water, while Bentum was left at home bagging water.

When they left, the convict abandoned his work, unlocked the complainant’s room, and stole an iPhone 7 Plus and its charger valued at GH¢1,650.00, a Tecno mobile phone with a broken screen, and GH¢5,000 cash.

After committing the offence, Bentum packed his belongings and bolted with the items.

When the complainant returned home, he saw that the door to his room had been forced open and could not find his two mobile phones and money, Sergeant Yeboah added.

The prosecutor said the complainant did not see Bentum again but noticed that his bag and clothes had also disappeared from the hall.

The complainant informed their employer, Isaac Esuon, who works at Twifo Praso, about the incident.

She said that on October 2, 2025, Bentum emerged from his hideout and went to Twifo Praso to look for another job. A witness saw him and detected that he had repaired the Tecno mobile phone he had stolen from the complainant’s room and was using it.

The witness arrested him and took him to the Atieku Akyempim Police Station, and with the help of the officers, he was later brought to the Tarkwa Police Station, where the complainant lodged a formal complaint.

The prosecution said Bentum admitted that he entered the complainant’s room and stole the mobile phones, the charger, and cash of GH¢2,500, but denied taking GH¢5,000.

Bentum added, “I used part of the money to buy clothes, food, and to repair the defective Tecno mobile phone I stole.”

He further confessed that the iPhone 7 Plus, the charger, and the clothes he bought were in his bag in Takoradi, while the Tecno mobile phone was with the Atieku Akyempim Police.

Sergeant Yeboah said Bentum led the police to Takoradi, where they retrieved the iPhone 7 Plus, the charger, and additional items, including a pair of jeans trousers, a Lacoste T-shirt, a pair of boxer shorts, two pairs of training shorts, and two pairs of knickers he purchased with the money.

She said GH¢2,600 was recovered from Bentum’s mobile money account, while the Tecno mobile phone was retrieved from the Atieku Akyempim Police, adding that all the items and money were kept as exhibits.