[1964]DLHC139 Login to Read Full Case <span style="font-size: 18px !important;"><span style="font-size: 18px !important;"><span style="font-size: 18px !important;"><span style="font-size: 18px !important;"><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: 115%; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif";mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:Helvetica;color:#00B0F0">ABBEY</span></b><span style="font-size:13.5pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:#00B0F0"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: 115%; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif";mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:Helvetica;color:#00B0F0"> vs.</span></b><span style="font-size:13.5pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:#00B0F0"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align: center; line-height: 115%; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif";mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:Helvetica;color:#00B0F0">THE STATE.</span></b><span style="font-size:13.5pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:#00B0F0"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom: 5pt; text-align: center; line-height: 115%; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;">[HIGH COURT, ACCRA]</span><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><div style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; border-bottom: 1.5pt solid windowtext; padding: 0in; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: 115%; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; border: none; padding: 0in;"><b><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;">[</span></b><b><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;">1964</span></b><b><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;">] </span></b><b><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;">GLR 546</span></b><b><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;"> </span></b><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;">DATE: 29TH</span><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;"> APRIL, 1964</span><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align: justify;line-height:115%"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">COUNSEL: <o:p></o:p></span></b></p><div style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; border-bottom: 1.5pt solid windowtext; padding: 0in 0in 1pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 115%; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; border: none; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;">J. CHINERY FOR THE APPELLANT.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 115%; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; border: none; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;">V. E. A. KISSIEH, STATE ATTORNEY, FOR THE RESPONDENT.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align: justify;line-height:115%"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">CORAM: <o:p></o:p></span></b></p><div style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; border-bottom: 1.5pt solid windowtext; padding: 0in 0in 1pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 115%; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; border: none; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;">HAYFRON-BENJAMIN J.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: 115%;mso-outline-level:1"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt; padding:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in"> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center;line-height:115%;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt; padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;">JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 115%; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;">HAYFRON-BENJAMIN J.</span></b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 5pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 115%; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;">The appellant was charged with stealing contrary to section 124 of the Criminal Code, 19601, and was convicted by the District Magistrate, Accra on 21 August 1964 and sentenced to six months’ imprisonment with hard labour. Against this conviction he has appealed to this court. The facts leading up to his prosecution are briefly as follows: About 6 a.m. on 3 August 1964, the appellant visited his friend, the complainant, on his way to buy some trade spirit. While they were in the complainant’s room, the appellant asked for sixpence to enable him to effect his purchase, as he had no small coins. The complainant gave it to him, and both of them left the room, the complainant to have his bath and the appellant presumably to buy his trade spirit. When the complainant came back to his room after his bath, his purse containing £G15 15s. was missing. According to the prosecution, the appellant was found coming out of the complainant’s room alone while the complainant was having his bath. This was deposed to by one of the prosecution witnesses. On these facts the accused was charged, prosecuted and convicted for stealing.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 5pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 115%; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;"> </span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 5pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 115%; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;">Before dealing with the merits of the case, I think it is necessary to advert to one