ABU MOHAMMED vs. THE REPUBLIC [2018]DLCA4794

Date	2018-04-19
Suit No.	SUIT NO: H2/16/17
Citation No.	[2018]DLCA4794

M. OWUSU (J.A.) – PRESIDING

AYEBI (J.A.)

SOWAH (J.A.)

AUGUSTINE OBOUR FOR APPELLANT

[2018]DLCA4794
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >ABU MOHAMMED<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, ACCRA]<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:&nbsp; H2/16/17&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: 19TH APRIL,
2018<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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AUGUSTINE
OBOUR FOR APPELLANT<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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M.
OWUSU (J.A.) – PRESIDING, AYEBI (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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JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>MARIAMA
OWUSU, J.A.:<o:p></o:p>On
18-7-2014, the High Court, Accra, found the appellant guilty on the charges of
conspiracy to commit crime namely, robbery and robbery. He was convicted on
both charges and was sentenced to twenty-five years on each count to run
concurrently.<o:p></o:p>Dissatisfied
with the decision of the court on the sentences meted out to him, the appellant
filed Notice of Appeal pursuant to leave granted him by this court on 13-6-2017.<o:p></o:p>The
Grounds of Appeal are:<o:p></o:p>1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
The
Sentence is excessive.<o:p></o:p>2.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Additional
grounds may be filed upon receipt of the proceedings.<o:p></o:p>At this stage, let me put it on record that the appellant did
not file additional ground(s) of appeal. Counsel for the Republic also did not
file any process in this appeal.<o:p></o:p>In
arguing the appeal, counsel for the appellant referred to Exhibit A, the
investigation caution statement of the appellant and stated that, the latter
was twenty years of age at the time of his arrest. Counsel again referred to
the preamble of the Juvenile Justice Act, 2003, (ACT 653). He continued that,
the Act is to protect young offenders. He referred to section 60 of the Act
which defines a young offender as;<o:p></o:p>“Young person means a person who is
eighteen or above eighteen years but is under twenty-one years”.<o:p></o:p>Counsel
then submitted that, the trial judge did not advert his mind to the age of the
appellant. This is because, the maximum sentence to be meted out to a young
person in the category of the appellant is three years when a serious offence
is committed under section 46 (8) of Act 653. Based on the forgoing, counsel
for the appellant submitted that, the sentence of twenty-five years imposed on
the appellant by the trial judge is harsh and excessive.<o:p></o:p>Secondly,
counsel argued, the appellant was arrested on 25th March, 2011 and
was convicted and sentenced on 18th July, 2014. He continued that,
there is no evidence on record to show that the period the appellant spent in
lawful custody was taken into account by the trial judge in imposing the
sentence. He argued that, the position of the law per article 14 (6) of the
1992 Constitution of Ghana is that, the court shall take into consideration any
period a person spent in custody in respect of an of</main>