After a five-year trial, the Accra Circuit Court has finally handed down a 15-year sentence to a porter, Yaw Owusu and a trader, Collins Oti, for attempted robbery.
Although the duo failed in their attempt to rob Osu Trust Hospital’s Optometrist, who was saved by the timely invention of a good Samaritan, the prosecution made sure they were punished for their wicked deeds.
Yaw and Collins were jailed on the offences of conspiracy to commit a crime and attempted robbery by the court, presided over by Mrs Susan Eduful on December 6, 2023.
The convicts, however, pleaded not guilty to the offences.
Prosecuting the case, Chief Inspector Samuel Ahiabor told the court that the convicts live at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle, whilst the Complainant resides at North Kaneshie.
According to him, on October 10, 2019 at about 6:20am, the Complainant set off to work and while on her way to the bus stop, she met the convicts on a Royal motor bike, with registration number M19 GW 4469.
They approached her to assist them with direction to Swan Lake. After helping them, the convicts, armed with an Okapi knife, asked the Complainant to surrender her hand bag, containing an Infinix Hot phone, lab card, National Service documents, a phone charger, sunglasses and cash  sum of GH¢230.00.
The Complainant refused and started running, as well as shouting for help.
Yaw and Collins raced after her, crossed her with the motor bike and pushed her to the ground. Yaw attempted to snatch the hand bag from the Complainant, but she held tight to it.
During the struggle, one Blay Morkeh, a witness in the case, at the time in charge of Hyundai Elantra car, driving towards the same direction spotted the act and quickly moved there.
On sensing danger, the convicts abandoned their mission and quickly jumped on the motor bike to escape.
The witness chased the convicts till he crushed them into a fenced wall of a school. Yaw was arrested on the spot by some people nearby and was handed over to the police. Collins, on the other hand, managed to escape.
During investigation, Yaw admitted the offence and disclosed that one Kwabena was his accomplice in the crime.
The prosecutor added that the police charged and arraigned Yaw on October 22, 2019, and was remanded to reappear on November 7.
On the adjourned date, November 11, 2023 Collins was identified by the complainant at the court room as Yaw’s accomplice and was arrested outside the court for investigation.
During investigations, Collins denied the charge.
Further investigation did not however, support his claim.
