EMEKA OSENDO vs. THE REPUBLIC [2016]DLCA4703

Date	2016-02-10
Suit No.	SUIT NO.H2/07/2016
Citation No.	[2016]DLCA4703

DENNIS ADJEI ADJEI (J. A.) MENSAH (J. A.)

SOWAH J.A

APPELLANT IN PERSON

EMILY ADDO-OKYIREH FOR RESPONDENT/RESPONDENT

[2016]DLCA4703
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >EMEKA OSENDO <o:p></o:p>(APPELLANT)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>THE REPUBLIC <o:p></o:p>(RESPONDENT)<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>[COURT
OF APPEAL, KOFORIDUA]<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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SUIT NO.H2/07/2016&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;DATE: 10TH FEBRUARY, 2016<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>APPELLANT IN PERSON<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">

EMILY
ADDO-OKYIREH FOR RESPONDENT/RESPONDENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM:
<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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DENNIS
ADJEI ADJEI (J. A.) MENSAH (J. A.), SOWAH J.A<o:p></o:p>

</div><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;
text-align:center;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>SOWAH,
J.A:<o:p></o:p>The appellant together with three others were charged on one
count with Conspiracy to rob contrary to sections 23(1) and 149 of The Criminal
Code 1960, Act 29 and two counts with Robbery contrary to section 149 of Act
29. They were found guilty after a jury trial and on 29th July 2003
they were each sentenced to 25 years IHL to run concurrently.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The appellant herein who was the 4th accused
person at the trial court is appealing sentence pursuant to leave granted by
this court. The two grounds of appeal filed on 2nd November 2015 are
as follows:<o:p></o:p>1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
The
appellant regrets his action and it is out of deep remorse that he is praying for
mitigation of sentence.<o:p></o:p>2.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
The
appellant is a first time offender, who has learnt his lesson in prison and
vows to keep away from all forms of crime in the future.<o:p></o:p>It is noted that on
the Record of Appeal, a Notice of Appeal appears to have been filed on 27th
August 2003 by a law firm in respect of all the convicts. In that Notice, the
appellants were seeking a reversal of the verdict of “guilty” and an acquittal
of the appellants. There is no indication as to what happened to that Appeal.
However as earlier stated, the appellant applied to this court on 26th
October 2015 for leave to file an Appeal out of time. Same was duly granted
whereupon he filed A Notice of Appeal in mitigation of sentence on 2nd
November 2015. He is praying that this appellate Court tempers
justice with mercy and kindly reduce the sentence to the minimum. The appeal
before this court is therefore an appeal in respect of sentence only, a fact
which was confirmed by the appellant when the appeal was called on 15th
December 2015.<o:p></o:p>Section 149 of Act 29/60
under which the appellant was convicted in 2003 provides for a minimum term of
imprisonment of not less than ten years for robbery and a minimum term of
fifteen years if the offence was committed by the use of an offensive weapon. The
maximum sentence is life imprisonment <o:p></o:p>