[2015]DLCA8003 Login to Read Full Case <span style="font-size: 18px !important;"><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; color:#00B0F0">KPODO KWAKU @ GADEMOR</span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; color:#00B0F0"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center"><i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">(ACCUSED/APPELLANT)<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-fareast-font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua"; color:#00B0F0">vs.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:115%"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;color:#00B0F0">THE REPUBLIC<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:115%"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">(RESPONDENT)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%; font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">[COURT OF APPEAL, KOFORIDUA]<o:p></o:p></span></p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt; padding:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm"> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center;border:none; mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">SUIT NO: H2/03/2016 </span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"">DATE: </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">15<sup>TH</sup></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman""> DECEMBER, 2015</span><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Book Antiqua"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua"">CORAM:<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt; padding:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm"> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt; padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">ADJEI JA – PRESIDING, MRS. SOWAH JA, MENSAH JA<o:p></o:p></span></p> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif"> <b><o:p></o:p></b></span></p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt; padding:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm"> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt; padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family: "Book Antiqua",serif">JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align: justify;line-height:200%"><b><u><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:200%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-bidi-font-family:Tahoma">ADJEI, J.A:<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:200%"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:200%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-bidi-font-family:Tahoma">The Appellant was convicted for conspiracy to commit crime to wit conspiracy to commit Robbery, and Robbery Contrary to Sections 23 and 49 of Act 29/60 as amended by Act 646 of 2003 respectively. The Court convicted the appellant for Robbery on 18<sup>th</sup> June, 2007 and sentenced him to 30 years IHL and was to take retrospective effect from 8<sup>th</sup> April, 2001, that is, the day that he was remanded by the trial High Court. <b><u><o:p></o:p></u></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:200%"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:200%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-bidi-font-family:Tahoma">The charge sheet which set out the offence preferred against the accused person and the particulars of offence provides as follows:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:36.0pt;text-align:justify;line-height: 200%"><i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12.0pt;line-height:200%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma">“<b><u>Count one: Statement of offence</u></b>: Conspiracy to Commit Robbery Contrary to Section 23 (1) and Section 149 of Act 29 of 19/60 as amended by Act 646 of 2003.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:36.0pt;text-align:justify;line-height: 200%"><b><i><u><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:200%; font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-bidi-font-family:Tahoma">Particulars of Offence</span></u></i></b><i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:200%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-bidi-font-family:Tahoma">: Kwaku Kpodo alias Gademor, businessman for that you and two others now serving their prison sentences on or about the 17<sup>th</sup> August, 2001 at Laklevikorfe near Denu in the Volta Region and within the jurisdiction of this Court did act together with a common purpose to commit crime to wit Robbery. <o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:36.0pt;text-align:justify;line-height: 200%"><b><i><u><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:200%; font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-bidi-font-family:Tahoma">“Count Two: Statement of offence:</span></u></i></b><i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:200%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-bidi-font-family:Tahoma"> Robbery Contrary to Section 149 of Act 29/60 as amended by Act 646 of 2003.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:36.0pt;text-align:justify;line-height: 200%"><b><i><u><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:200%; font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-bidi-font-family:Tahoma">Particulars of Offence</span></u></i></b><i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:200%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-bidi-font-family:Tahoma">: Kwaku Kpodo alias Gademor, businessman, for that you and two others now serving their prison sentences on or about the 17<sup>th</sup> August, 2001 at Laklevikorfe near Denu in the Volta Region did still one Akai Video Deck and its remote control and a Sanyo remote control, the properties of one Paulina Dorkenu and for the purpose of stealing the items above caused harm to one Josephine Agblevoe with intent to prevent here resistance to your stealing of the items”.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:200%"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:200%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-bidi-font-family:Tahoma">The accused person pleaded “Not Guilty” and the case proceeded to trial. The Appellant was sentenced to 30 years I.H.L on both Courts. The Appellant dissatisfied with the sentence has appealed to this court to reduce it. According to the Appellant, the sentence of 30 years imposed on him is harsh and this Court should reduce same. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:200%"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:200%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-bidi-font-family:Tahoma">We shall first address the legal effect of the sentence of 30 years imposed on the appellant on 18<sup>th</sup> July, 2007 and was to take retrospective effect from 8<sup>th</sup> April, 2001. The law is that, where a person who is convicted of an offence spends a period of time in lawful custody before the completion of his trial, the period that he spent whilst in lawful custody shall be taken into accounts in imposing the term of imprisonment. It is mandatory for every court to take into consideration the period spent by an accused person who was in lawful custody before the completion of his term. It is a mitigating factor which must be considered when imposing an appropriate sentence on an accused person who spent time in lawful custody being prison or police custody before the completion of the trial. The mandatory provision is contained in Article 14 (6) of the Constitution of Ghana, 1992.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:200%"><b><i><u><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:200%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-bidi-font-family:Tahoma">Article 14 (6) of the Constitution of Ghana, 1992</span></u></i></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:200%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-bidi-font-family:Tahoma"> provides thus: <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:36.0pt;text-align:justify;line-height: 200%"><i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12.0pt;line-height:200%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma">“Where a person is convicted and sentenced to a term of imprisonment for an offence, any period he has spent in lawful custody in respect of that offence before the completion of his trial shall be taken into account in imposing the term of imprisonment”.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:200%"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:200%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-bidi-font-family:Tahoma">The issue as to how the compliance of Article 14 (6) should take was discussed by the Supreme Court in the case of <b><i><u>Bosso v. The Republic [2009] SCGLR 420</u></i></b>. The Supreme Court stated that it would not attempt to lay hard and fast rules as to how the Constitutional mitigating factor shou