By Erica Apeatua Addo
Tarkwa (W/R), Jan. 17, GNA – The circuit court in Tarkwa has sentenced Eric Watson-Amoah, 24, unemployed, to 16 years imprisonment in hard labour for stealing assorted items worth GH￠56,600 belonging to a businessman at Ahwetieso in the Western Region.
He pleaded guilty with explanation to the charges of causing unlawful damage, unlawful entry and stealing.
In Watson-Amoah’s plea for mitigation before sentence was passed by Mrs Hathia Ama Manu, the presiding judge, he prayed for forgiveness and said he committed the offence because of the economic hardship.
The prosecution led by Police Chief Inspector Joseph Lartey, stated that the complainant, James Owusu Boakye and Watson-Amoah resided at Ahwetieso in the Tarkwa Nsuaem Municipal.
On Thursday November 16, 2023, around 09:30 hours, the complainant and his family locked their doors and left the house to their respective workplaces.
Chief Inspector Lartey said on the same day, Watson-Amoah who was returning from an illegal mining site, noticing that there was no one in the complainant’s house, used an earth chisel to damage a Chinese door value at GH￠2,200 and gained access to the house.
The convict then stole a 42-inch Samsung television valued at GH￠7,000, Digital Satellite Television (DStv) decoder valued at GH￠300, Lenovo laptop computer valued at GH￠8,000, thirty pieces of women cloth valued at GH￠ 18,000, Twelve yards of lace valued at GH￠4, 800, a bag of rice valued at GH￠700, five boxes of sand flower cooking oil valued at GH￠3,500.
Other items are, perfume valued at GH￠ 900, traveling bag valued at GH￠800, Iphone six valued at GH￠1,200, shoe rag valued at GH￠100, cutlery set costing GH￠300, jewelleries valued at GH￠5, 000, face towel (30 pieces) valued at GH￠1,500, food stuff costing GH￠2,000, ladies bags and purse valued at GH￠2,500 all worth GH￠56,600 and money saving box containing unspecified amount of money.
The prosecution said Watson-Amoah packed the stolen items into a taxicab he hired and conveyed same to an unknown destination after which he went into hiding.
Chief Inspector Lartey said on November 30, 2023, the Divisional Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Tarkwa arrested the convict in a similar case, where the complainant and a witness in this case identified him to the Bonsaso Police as the one who committed the crime.
The court heard that during investigation Watson-Amoah led the police to Efuanta, a suburb of Tarkwa and the 42-inch Samsung television, Lenovo laptop computer, shoe rag, DStv decoder, six tin fish (sardine), one box of sand flower cooking oil, ladies bag and purse were retrieved, but the remaining items were nowhere to be found.
GNA