An Accra Circuit Court has sentenced a trader who caused harm to a “Good Samaritan” to six months in hard labour.

Isaka Adamu, 21, hit the head of Samuel Lawson with a stick, making him unconscious when Lawson prevented him from administering his personal idea of justice on a suspected thief.

Adamu simply admitted the offence when he was put before the Court on Monday and he was handed the jail term.

Police Inspector Wisdom Alorwu told the Court presided over by Ms Adelaide Abui Kaddey that Mr Lawson, the complainant, was a security man with UCS Security Company at Dzorwulu whilst Adamu, the convict, was a trader and an Ivorian living around Abossey Okai Central Mosque.

He said on January 21, 2023 the complainant was on duty at Omni Bank, Abossey Okai when he spotted Adamu, chasing a young man with a stick towards his duty post at about 04:10 hours.

Inspector Alorwu said when the complainant confronted Adamu as to why he was chasing him, he claimed the young man had stolen his iron rod of which the complainant indicated that he saw nothing in his hand.

The complainant tried to advise Adamu to stop pursuing the alleged thief, but he did not listen till the alleged thief ran into a group of people for safety, the Court heard.

According to the prosecution, the defendant became offended by the complainant’s obstructionism and attitude and, without any provocation, struck the complainant in the head with the stick in his hand before fleeing.

He said the complainant fell unconscious and was rushed to Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital for treatment.

A security guard on duty nearby who witnessed the incident gave the convict a chase, arrested and subsequently handed him over to the Police for investigation, Inspector Alorwu said.

He said during investigations, Adamu admitted the offence, but indicated that he did not intend to hit the complainant’s head.

After thorough investigations, the convict was charged with the offence, Prosecution said.