The Asante Bekwai Circuit Court has sentenced a farmer to 20 years’ hard labour for robbery.
Michael Nhyira Cobbina, 31, is said to have robbed Mrs Bernice Yeboah, a farmer, of her cell phone at knifepoint as her children, aged five and 10, screamed for help.
Cobbina admitted the offence when he was put before the court and was convicted on his own plea.
Police Detective Chief Inspector Eric Twum told the Court presided over by Mr Mark Tair-ima Diboro that both Cobbina and Mrs Yeboah were farmers and neighbours at Aduabin in the Ashanti Region.
He said at about 9:30 p.m. on December 1, this year, Mrs Yeboah and her children were awoken from their sleep by a bang on their main door.
She then noticed a male adult in a face mask, armed with a knife, standing in front of her demanding money and threatening to harm her if she did not give him what he wanted.
The prosecution said her two children, on hearing the threats, started screaming for help.
However, because they lived on their cocoa farm, 900 metres away from their neighbours in the Aduabin township, no one heard their cries.
Detective Chief Inspector Twum said Mrs Yeboah, who became helpless, gave up her Itel mobile phone on which was electronic cash of GH¢2,000 to Cobbina.
Cobbina thereafter left with the phone, but luck eluded him when a witness in the case, who happened to have bought the said phone for Mrs Yeboah, saw the Cobbina’s wife using the same handset and quickly informed Mrs Yeboah.
Chief Inspector Twum said Mrs Yeboah then reported the matter to the Feyiase Police, who arrested Cobbina and the Itel mobile phone retrieved from his wife.
The police realised Cobbina’s wife had inserted her SIM card in the phone and also found pictures of her and the husband in the device.
The prosecution said Cobbina had earlier told the police he personally bought the phone from someone at Adum for his wife, but investigation later revealed that he was the one who robbed Mrs Yeboah.
He led the police to his room where he handed over all exhibits, whereafter he was charged and put before court and subsequently jailed.
