Two third year students of the Keta Business Senior High School are to spend a total of 60 years in prison after being convicted of conspiracy and robbery by the Aflao Circuit Court.
The convicts, Jeff Hope Dotse, 20, and Emmanuel Nartey, 19, were convicted on their own plea and each sentenced to 30 years for robbery and five years for conspiracy to run concurrently.
Prosecuting, Inspector Valentine Adablah of the Keta Police told the court, presided over by Mr. Francis Obiri, that about midnight on November 6, 2011, one Martha Senadzu, a seamstress apprentice at Tegbi, was returning from a fun session as part of the Hogbetsotso festival celebration.
He said on reaching the Tegbi Hekpa junction, the two students pursued her until they caught up with her and ordered her to hand over all valuable on her.
He said they threatened to kill her if she did not comply and as a result she got scared and screamed for help.
Inspector Adablah said Dotse slapped her on the cheek and feigned to be pulling a gun from his pocket, adding that Martha, amid tears, surrendered her mobile phone, the only thing on her.
He said on November 8, 2011, while on her way to Keta, Martha spotted the two students and confronted them but they denied the accusation but a policeman on duty nearby was alerted to arrest them.
The prosecutor said a search conducted in Dotse�s room revealed a Samsung cell phone belonging to Martha that was seized from her during the attack.
Passing judgment, the judge, Mr. Obiri, said robbery was becoming a menace and the court would be failing in its obligation if it did not give a deterrent punishment that would ensure a free environment to enable people to go about their duties peacefully.
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