The Circuit Court in Mankessim, in the Central Region, has sentenced a 24-year-old herbalist to 30 years imprisonment for shooting and robbery at Asuokor.
The convict, John Awila also known as Nana Kojo Agbeko who claims to be a journalist working with Onua TV and Passion TV, was charged with three counts.
When arraigned before the court presided over by Justice Veronique Abena Praba Tetteh, he admitted to the offense and pleaded guilty to all the charges and was sentenced accordingly.
Presenting the case before court, the prosecutor, Detective Chief Inspector Alhassan Iddrisu, said the complainant, Elijah Addo, a teacher gave his red and yellow Toyota Yaris taxi vehicle with registration number CR-5569-21 to the victim, Ishmael Assan to work and render sales.
“On February 9, 2024, the convict hired the driver (victim) to take him to Breman Asikuma. On reaching the Towoboase junction at Breman Jamra, the convict instructed the victim to turn and drive towards Towoboase.
“When they got to Asuokor leading to Towoboase, the convict asked the victim to drive to Asuokor. Along the Asuokor road, the convict again ordered the victim to branch through a nearly unmotorable road.
The prosecutor continued that, at a point, he told the victim to park the car and follow him to a nearby village where his mother lives.
“They took to a footpath and along the way, the convict turned hostile, pulled out a pistol from a bag he was holding, pointed the pistol straight at the victim, and ordered him to surrender everything at his disposal.
“The victim out of fear gave out his bag containing a cash sum of Gh¢4400.00 and his mobile phone Techno Spark 8C which is valued at Gh¢1000.00 to the convict. The convict notwithstanding, demanded the ignition key of the vehicle, and the victim who looked hapless gave it out.
The victim then pleaded with the convict not to harm him but he did not heed the victim’s plea and eventually shot the victim in his left ear with the gun causing the victim to fall and blood subsequently oozed from the shot eye, the prosecutor added.
“The convict realising the harm caused left the victim quickly ran to where the car was parked and drove away. About an hour later the victim managed his way to the main road, where he met an old woman and narrated his ordeal to her.
“The old woman assisted him by calling some taxi drivers from Jamra and swiftly rushed him to the Our Lady of Grace Hospital at Breman Asikuma for medical treatment. The case was therefore reported to the police and as part of the investigation, the police visited the victim at the hospital and issued a police medical form to him.
“Meanwhile, on February 12, 2024, the victim, Ishmael Assan was referred to Korlebu Teaching Hospital for further medical attention by a corneal and orbit specialist.
On February 22, 2024, at about 4 pm, Mr Alhassan told the court that the police arrested the convict at Breman Brakwa while driving the said missing vehicle. He had changed the colour of the taxi to Ash and also removed the number plate.
The police then took the convict to his residence at Breman Asikuma and retrieved a pistol with three live cartridges from his bedroom.
The convict admitted the offense in his investigation caution statement and continued that he snatched the vehicle from the victim with the intent of using it as his private vehicle. He was charged with the offense.
