The Hohoe Circuit Court has sentenced Seth Agbavor, a commercial motor rider, to 15 years’ imprisonment for stealing.

Seth’s wife, Geraldo Akweley, a trader, was fined a sum of GH¢3,600 or, in default, serve two years in prison for dishonestly receiving stolen items.

One other suspect, Bismark, is currently at large.

The couple were put before the Court on November 16, 2023, with both pleading not guilty to their respective charges, but were fully tried, found guilty and convicted.

The Court also ordered Akweley to sign a bond of good behaviour for five years.

Before the sentencing, Inspector Rachel Osei Agyapomaa, prosecuting, told the court, presided over by Lambert Y. Keriba, that Agbavor was “known” because he was sentenced by a court.

She said that while Agbavor was on bail pending the trial of the case, he went and committed a similar crime of stealing and was sentenced to ten years' imprisonment, which he was still serving.

Inspector Agyapomaa prayed the court to give Agbavor an enhanced punishment to serve as a deterrent to others.

She further prayed the court to also give Akweley a punishment that would serve as a deterrent to women who have been aiding their husbands in stealing expeditions.

She said the complainant was a teacher, while Agbavor was a commercial motor rider and farmer as well and his wife, a trader.

Inspector Agyapomaa said on November 1, 2023, the complainant locked his doors and went to school as usual, but upon return, he saw that a thief or thieves had broken into his rooms by damaging his wooden door, together with its hinge valued GH¢475, locks valued GH¢195, and a louvre blade valued GH¢15.

She said the complainant also saw that his standing fridge valued GH¢1,800, ’32’ LED Samsung TV valued GH¢1,900, Best Digital Decoder valued GH¢280, 16 Kg gas cylinder valued GH¢450, and TMI Laptop valued GH¢3,500 were stolen.

Inspector Agyapomaa said other items identified to be stolen were three ‘Ecolac’ bags valued GH¢850 and an Itel keypad mobile phone valued at GH¢250.

She said the complainant had information from a witness in the case that Agbavor and one other, in the afternoon of November 10, 2023, were seen seated around the complainant’s corn mill shop, which was about 70 meters away from the complainant’s house.

Inspector Agyapomaa said the complainant became suspicious of Agbavor’s presence in his house, arrested and sent him to the police on November 13, 2023.,

She said Agbavor was re-arrested by the police, and he volunteered a statement on caution during which he denied breaking into the complainant’s rooms and stealing the items.

During investigations, the police asked Agbavor to lead them to his accomplice.

Inspector Agyapomaa said Agbavor led the police to the house of one witness in the case instead of Bismark, who was currently at large, but did not mention the witness as his accomplice.

She said the witness had information that Akweley and Bismark were offering for sale a laptop to secure bail for Agbavor at the police station and feigned interest in helping them to sell the laptop.

Inspector Agyapomaa said Akweley handed over a TM1 laptop and some electrical cords to the witness to be handed over to Bismark to sell, which the witness suspected to be among the items stolen from the complainant’s room.

She said both the complainant and police got a hint of the laptop being offered for sale, adding that the witness called Bismark on the phone to come so both could sell the laptop, but Bismark instructed the witness to sell the laptop at GH₵500.

Inspector Agyapomaa said that when Bismark sensed danger of possibly being arrested, he switched off his phone, adding that the TM1 laptop was brought to the police station, which the complainant identified as his stolen property.

She said Akweley was arrested and she volunteered statements on caution and admitted given the laptop to the witness for sale.

Inspector Agyapomaa said on November 20, 2023, Akweley gave a further statement to the police in which she stated that on November 11, 2023, Bismark visited Agbavor and her in their house.

Akweley said Agbavor and Bismark went out and later returned to their room with the TM 1 laptop, a phone, a decoder and electrical cords, which she received and kept in the room where she lived with her husband.