A 27-year-old trader, who stole sacks of used clothes and shoes from his colleague traders valued at ¢10,570, has told an Accra Circuit Court that he was forced to steal based on pressure mounted on him by his pregnant partner.
Kingsley Kwame Yeboah said his work was not earning him enough to take care of the pregnant woman and pleaded guilty to stealing and prayed the court to be lenient with him.
The court, presided over by Susana Eduful, considered his plea for mitigation, and the fact that he was remorseful and sentenced him to eight months imprisonment in hard labour.
Yaw Yeboah, another trader, who was charged alongside Kingsley for alleged dishonestly receiving, denied the offence with the reason that the suspect did not sell 150 pairs of shoes to him as alleged, but brought them to him for safe-keeping.
The court did not accept his explanation but granted him a ¢20,000 bail with two sureties, one to be a public servant earning not less than ¢1,000.
Mr Yeboah is to make his next appearance on September 14, 2021.
Police Chief Samuel Ahiabor, who held a brief for Chief Inspector Christine Bansah, told the court that the complainants, Gladys Ofosu-Appiah, Vida Manyo, Dora Amankwa and Gifty Akaweh, all dealt in second-hand clothing and shoes at Kantamanto Market.
He said on August 9, 2021, at about 0600 hours, the complainants reported at their business centres and noticed that their wares were stolen.
They lodged a formal complaint to the Police and upon a tip-off, Kingsley was grabbed in the market with one sack of baby clothing.
During investigations, he admitted the offence and confessed that earlier in the day at about 0300 hours, he went to the market and stole two sacks of second-hand clothing and a sack of second-hand shoes.
The court further heard that Kingsley sold 150 pairs of the stolen children’s shoes valued at ¢2,770, to Mr Yeboah.
The court ordered the prosecution to release the retrieved items to the complainants.