An auto-mechanic apprentice, accused of defiling a 14-year-old school girl, has been ordered by a Kumasi Gender-based Circuit Court to be held in prison for seven years with hard labour.

Abubakar Sadique, 18, was convicted after he shifted from the initial plea of not-guilty to admit his guilt.

He had committed the crime on February 9 at Kankyiren near Pakyi on the Kumasi-Obuasi road.

Police Chief Inspector Rose Essuman told the court presided over by Mrs Rita Agyeman-Budu that the victim, a junior high school pupil, had been asked by the mother to collect her school uniform from a dressmaker.

This was at about 1900 hours and after waiting for more than one hour with no sign of the girl returning, the woman became apprehensive and decided to chase her up to the dressmaker’s shop but could not find her there.

She later received information that the daughter was with Sadique and rushed to the place only to see her naked in the bed of the convict.

A formal report was made to the police and he was arrested.

Police Chief Inspector Essuman said doctors who treated the victim, confirmed in a signed report that she had been defiled.