A Bekwai Circuit Court has sentenced a washing bay labourer to five years imprisonment in hard labour for stealing.

Eric Kwabena Antwi together with Yaw Sarpong stole the belongings valued at GHC4,840.00 of Madam Felicia Alugushie, a trader.

Antwi, alias Abompe denied conspiring to steal, causing unlawful damage, unlawful entry and stealing but was found culpable after trial.

Meanwhile, Sarpong, his accomplice is on the run and the Police have mounted a search for him.

Prosecuting, Detective Chief Inspector Stephen Ofori told the Court presided over by Mr Mark Timarah Diboro, that Madam Alugushie is the complainant.

He said the complainant travelled on September 30, 2020 and when she returned on October 9, 2020, she detected that her room had been broken into and items including Latex Foam mattress, electric sewing machine, electric stabilizer, gas cylinder, 17 pieces of wax prints and ladies' hand bag had been stolen.

Prosecution said she made a formal complaint to the Feyiase Police and on October 18 same year, Police had a tip-off that the stolen items were with Antwi, which led to his arrest.

Detective Chief Inspector Ofori said Antwi led Police to his mother's abandoned room at Esreso where he had kept the stolen items.

He said Police retrieved the mattress, sewing machine, cylinder, two pieces of wax prints, stabilizer, a pair of ladies' sandals and a ladies handbag.

The prosecution said during investigations Antwi mentioned Sarpong as his accomplice and confessed selling the rest of the items.