The Ashaiman District Court has sentenced Prince Agbeko, a 22-year-old Forklift Apprentice to a total of four years imprisonment in hard labour, for stealing phones in three separate incidents.

The Court, Presided over by Mrs Eleanor Kakra Banes Botchway, sentenced Agbeko after he pleaded guilty to stealing in all three instances.

The convict was sentenced to one year imprisonment in hard labour for the first case; 15 months in hard labour for the second case; and two years in hard labour for the third case.

Chief Inspector Samuel Aperweh, prosecuting, told the court that on August 24, 2021, complainant Mr Alex Edem Quarshie, a businessman who resides at Ashaiman, Lebanon zone made a complaint against the convict who lives at Zongo-Laka.

Chief Inspector Aperweh said Agbeko, at about 18:00 hours on the said day, went to the complainant’s boutique with a motorbike and a wrapper under the pretext of buying his pastor a birthday gift.

The prosecution said, after the accused selected the items, he asked Mr Alex Edem to help him wrap them, as the complainant’s attention was focused on the wrapping, the accused picked the Alex’s iPhone XS Max valued at GHC3,400.

The convict pretended to make a call, stepped out of the boutique and bolted on the motorbike.

The complainant went out to inform the convict that he had completed the wrapping, but Agbeko was nowhere to be found. Mr Alex Edem went into his boutique only to realize his phone was missing.

Chief Inspector Aperweh added that on September 9, 2021, at about 21:00 hours, the complainant saw accused in town on a motorbike parked around Ashaiman Municipal Assembly.

The convict attempted to flee after seeing the boutique owner but with the help of others, Agbeko was apprehended and handed over to the Community 22 Police.

He admitted the offence in his caution statement and led Police to the complainant’s shop where he simulated how he stole the phone.

According to the prosecution, he then led the Police to two different mobile phone dealers as recipients of the phone, but none of them was at post.

He again led Police to a third person, Patrick Buemortey a mobile phone repairer who allegedly received the stolen iPhone XS Max.

Patrick Buemortey then brought out an iPhone XS instead and informed the Police that the accused brought it to him about three months ago for him to buy.

Buemortey said he declined to buy it after realizing that the phone belonged to someone else and more so, knowing that nobody can use another person’s iPhone.

But he said the convict insisted the phone belongs to him and never came again.

After investigation, the accused was charged with the offence of stealing and put before the court and after full trial was convicted.