The Assin-Fosu District Court has sentenced a 24-year-old commercial driver to nine months jail-term for causing harm to a policeman.
Ebenezer Nkoom, bit the finger of a policeman and inflicted injuries on his body, while resisting arrest.
Nkoom, pleaded guilty to 13 different charges, including causing harm, unlawful harm, resisting arrest, and road traffic offences.
He pleaded for leniency when she appeared before the court presided over by Mr Abdul Majeed Illiasu.
Prosecuting, Chief Inspector Gilbert Ayongo said the complainants were General Constable Samuel Ayamba and Constable Sophia Essel, who were stationed at the Central North Regional Police Command of the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD).
The court heard that the complainants, who were on duty to control traffic at the Assin-Fosu old market stretch of the highway, spotted the convict driving a Hyundai Atos Taxi.
Chief Insp Ayongo said the convict stopped at an undesignated place to pick passengers without reasonable consideration to other road users.
The court heard that the policemen cautioned the driver against picking passengers at unapproved place.
Chief Insp Ayongo said the driver ignored the orders of the policemen, saying that he would continue to pick passengers at the spot until the police arrested all other drivers who did same.
The prosecution said the convict returned to the same location, which led to his arrest.
Chief Insp Ayongo said when the policemen joined the driver’s vehicle to be driven to the Regional MTTD, he (convict) rather drove to an unknown destination and attempted to escape.
The court heard that in the process of arresting the driver, he resisted and bit the finger of General Constable Ayamba, “inflicting severe injuries on his hand.”
Chief Insp Ayongo said a motor rider, who witnessed the incident, picked the injured policeman and chased the convict, who drove the vehicle into a nearby bush, abandoned it and absconded.
The policemen reported the incident to Assistant Superintendent (ASP) Wonder Lumor, the Central North Regional MTTD Commander, who deployed policemen to the scene.
Chief Insp Ayongo said the convict emerged in the company of two others, and he was arrested.
The court heard that a check on the vehicle and documents revealed that the driver had failed to validate his driver’s license since February 1, 2022, and was driving a commercial vehicle at an unauthorised age of 24, instead of 25 years and above.
Chief Insp Ayongo said the driver was driving a commercial vehicle without a spare tyre, warning signals and fire extinguisher. —GNA
