FREDERICK ANNOR vs THE REPUBLIC [2018]DLCA16133

Date	2018-01-21
Suit No.	SUIT NO. H1/19/2013
Citation No.	[2018]DLCA16133

MARIAMA OWUSU J.A (PRESIDING)

HENRY A. KWOFIE J.A

AMMA GAISIE J.A

STEPHEN OSEI KOFI

ANNA FRANKLINA OPOKU (S.A.)

[2018]DLCA16133
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >FREDERICK ANNOR<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>[COURT OF APPEAL, KUMASI]<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;<div style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; border-bottom-width: 1.5pt; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding: 0cm 0cm 1pt;">

SUIT NO. H1/19/2013&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: 21ST&nbsp; &nbsp;DECEMBER 2018<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>STEPHEN OSEI KOFI FOR
THE APPELLANT<o:p></o:p>ANNA FRANKLINA OPOKU
(S.A.) FOR THE REPUBLIC<o:p></o:p><div style="border-top-width: 1.5pt; border-top-color: windowtext; border-left: none; border-bottom-width: 1.5pt; border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-right: none; padding: 1pt 0cm;">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:
justify;line-height:115%;border:none;mso-border-top-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:1.0pt 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">CORAM: &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>

</div><div style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; border-bottom-width: 1.5pt; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding: 0cm 0cm 1pt;">

<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;
text-align:center;line-height:115%;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm;mso-border-between:1.5pt solid windowtext;
mso-padding-between:1.0pt">JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>HENRY
KWOFIE J.A:<o:p></o:p>This
appeal has been launched by the appellant herein against the judgment of the
High Court Kumasi dated 7th May 2011.&nbsp; The appellant and another person were
convicted of the offences of Conspiracy to commit crime to wit robbery contrary
to Section 23(1) and 149 of Act 29/60 robbery contrary to Section 149 of Act
29/60, and assault.&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>They
were both sentenced to nineteen (19) years I.H.L.&nbsp; on each count to run concurrently.&nbsp; Aggrieved by the said conviction and
sentence, the appellant filed a petition of appeal on 14/10/2016 pursuant to
leave granted by the High Court Kumasi on 13th October, 2016 on the
following grounds:<o:p></o:p>i.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The
decision of the Court has created or occasioned a miscarriage of justice.<o:p></o:p>ii&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The
sentence is excessive and harsh<o:p></o:p>iii&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Additional
grounds of appeal will be filed upon receipt of the record of proceedings.<o:p></o:p>Subsequently on 02/03/2018 the appellant
filed additional grounds <o:p></o:p>of
appeal pursuant to leave granted on 27/02/2018 as follows:&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>a)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The
trial High Court erred when it proceeded to hear the case without taking the
plea of the accused person.<o:p></o:p>b)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The
High Court erred when it convicted the accused person to a prison term of
nineteen (19) years on the third count of assault.<o:p></o:p>The
facts of this case relating to the appellant are that the complainant was a
cashier at the Unity Oil Filling Station, Afrancho branch.&nbsp; The appellant is an artisan whilst the other
accused person is a sawmill operator.&nbsp; On
Sunday, the 20th of June 2010 at about 7:20 am, the appellant
stopped a taxicab being driven by one Isaac Yankyera.&nbsp; The appellant asked the driver to take them
to the Unity Oil Filling Station at Afrancho. <o:p></o:p>On
arrival at the station at about 7:30 am, the appellant alighted and entered the
office of the complainant and brought out a locally made pistol and ordered the
complainant to surrender all the money in her possession.&nbsp; The appellant succeeded in taking an amount
of GH¢2,684 and a Barclays Bank cheque with face value of GH¢371.70 from the
complainant and rushed out with it to board the waiting taxi.&nbsp; He then ordered the taxi driver to move.&nbsp; Just as the driver was about to move, he
heard shouts from the complainant saying “thief, thief”.&nbsp; The driver became suspicious of the appellant
and was thus reluctant to move the vehicle.&nbsp;
The appellant pulled out the pistol and pointed it at the driver’s head
and began assaulting him.&nbsp; The driver
drove to Afrancho town where he could be rescued.&nbsp; He turned off the car engine and jumped out
of the taxi cab amidst shouts.&nbsp; This
attracted the attention of onlookers and bystanders who overpowered the
appellant and the other person and arrested them.&nbsp; The police who had the information arrived
later at the scene and arrested the accused persons.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;Arguing
ground (a) of the additional ground of appeal which is that the High Court
erred w</main>