A 33-year-old driver’s mate, Seth Okai, has been bonded by the Circuit Court at Dansoman to be of good behaviour for two years, after he pleaded guilty to unlawful entry with intent to steal.
Seth Okai was charged with unlawful entry to commit crime, namely stealing, contrary to Sections 152 and 124(1) of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29).
He admitted to the offence when he appeared before Her Honour Halimah El-Alawa Abdul-Bassit.
Presenting the facts of the case, Chief Inspector Emelia Mensah told the court that the complainant, Abass Dawud, a businessman residing at McCarthy Hills, detected the accused on his premises through a CCTV camera.
On October 5, 2025, around 2:00 a.m., Okai unlawfully entered the complainant’s house by scaling the fence wall, intending to steal mobile phones or any valuable items he could find. While moving around the compound, he encountered the complainant’s son and frightened, jumped over the wall again to escape.
Later, the complainant reported the incident to the police and submitted CCTV footage showing Okai entering and leaving the premises.
During investigations, Seth Okai admitted to the offence, explaining that he had hoped to steal a phone or laptop.
In sentencing, Her Honour Abdul-Bassit considered the fact that Okai pleaded guilty simpliciter and did not waste the court’s time.
The court also took into account his remorse, the fact that he was a first-time offender, a dependent father of a 10-year-old girl, and that he had shown regret for his actions.
However, the judge noted that the crime was premeditated and needed to be punished to deter others from committing similar offences.
After listening to defence counsel Joseph Tetteh’s plea for leniency, the court ordered the convict to sign a bond of good behaviour for two years, warning that any breach would attract a custodial sentence.
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