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A Circuit Court in Accra has sentenced Stanley Appiah a taxi driver to 15 years iin prison for robbing a lady, and five years for stabbing a military officer.

The sentence would however run concurrently.

Appiah robbed the lady of her mobile phone at dawn at Santa Maria, suburb of Accra and then stabbed the military officer who chased him and succeeded in collecting the stolen mobile phone.

Charged with robbery and causing harm, Appiah pleaded guilty and he was convicted on his own plea.

The court presided over by Mr Aboagye Tandoh convicting him, noted that Appiah readily admitted his guilt.

According to the court, Appiah was also a first time offender.

Appiah prayed the court and the victims to forgive him as he did not know what came over him to commit the crime.

“I have never committed such a crime before,” Appiah declared.

Prosecuting Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Patience Mario told the court that Mavis Appiah, the first complainant, is a factory hand and resides at Santa Maria.

According to ASP Mario, the second complainant, Frederick Owusu Asiedu is a military officer.

On December 5, this year, prosecution said at about 05:30 hours, Mavis was walking to work when Appiah pulled out a knife and snatched her mobile phone.

Not satisfied, ASP Mario said Appiah further demanded Mavis’s purse but she took to her heels and shouted “thief, thief, thief”.

Prosecution said Asiedu, the second complainant, who overheard Mavis chased Appiah and collected the mobile phone.

However, Appiah stabbed Asiedu on the left side of his chest and attempted bolting.

When Appiah was nabbed, he threw away the knife.

Asiedu, according to the prosecutor, was rushed to the hospital for treatment while Appiah was handed over to the Police.

During interrogation, Appiah admitted the offence but denied stabbing Asiedu with a knife, adding that he rather stabbed him with a nail.