A 21-year-old construction worker who armed himself with an axe to rob his victim of a plate of fried rice and a bag containing mobile phone, necklace and cash has been sentenced to 10 years imprisonment in hard labour.

For admitting his guilt and pleading guilty, Michael Osei Boateng received a minimum jail term from a Kumasi High Court.

This was for not wasting the time of the court.

Presiding judge, His Honour Abdul-Razak Musah told the packed court, he took into consideration the age of the convict and the fact that he was a first-time offender who did not waste the court’s time by admitting his guilt.

According to him, the sentence took into account the fact that the convict did not use the weapon during the robbery act and therefore the time spent in prison will afford Boateng the opportunity to reform to become a better person.

Michael Boateng, a resident of Deduako, on June 19, 2021 attacked the complainant who is a food vendor after he had closed from work around 11pm at Twumduase.

He ordered the woman to surrender all items in her possession to him.

Out of fear, she obliged and without hesitation handed over her Black Berry mobile phone valued at GH¢400, together with her hand bag containing her wrist watch, necklace, some ladies’ dresses, a plate of fried rice she was taking home to eat and cash sum of GH¢500.

The accused then bolted with the items, including the plate of fried rice.

The complainant, upon reaching home narrated her ordeal to her sister and gave her a vivid description of the accused person.

On June 20, 2021, the complainant met the accused person who was coming out of a drinking bar and recognized him as the person who robbed her the previous night.

Prosecution, led by Chief Inspector Timothy Amoako, told the court that the complainant reported the case to the KNUST Police after which the accused person was arrested in his house.

A search in his room led to the retrieval of a small axe, one Black Berry Mobile phone, a Techno mobile phone and six different SIM cards.

The victim immediately identified her robbed Black Berry mobile phone and identified the axe the accused person used to threaten her.

Boateng in his caution statement admitted the offence but denied having seen any money insisting he threw the bag away at Boadi.

He was charged with robbery in accordance with section 149 of the Criminal Offences Act 1960 (Act 29).

He pleaded guilty when his plea was taken in court. The court then sentenced him to 10 years imprisonment in hard labour.